Venice Transfer Market: The Lagunari Outbid the Competition for the Player Overlooked by Conte and Allegri

Venezia has reached an agreement with Napoli for the return of Pasquale Mazzocchi. The fullback, born in 1995, is expected to arrive in the city later today to undergo a physical and finalize the remaining details before signing the contract.

The deal is structured as a loan with an obligation to buy, contingent on Venezia remaining in Serie A. The Venice-based club managed to beat out a number of competitors: in recent hours, Lecce and Sassuolo—both looking to strengthen their defenses—had expressed particular interest. Previously, Genoa and Parma had also evaluated the player.

Mazzocchi’s past with Venezia also played a role in his decision. The fullback previously wore the orange-and-green jersey from 2020 to 2022 and is therefore very familiar with the environment. This factor helped facilitate the deal and his return.

For its part, Napoli had every reason to transfer the player before the transfer window closed. Mazzocchi, whose contract with the Neapolitan club was set to expire in the summer of 2027, had been left off the game-day roster due to roster limitations, as the 17 Over-23 players required by regulations had already been reached. This situation made his departure inevitable, especially since Napoli did not want to risk losing the player on a free transfer next summer.

The fullback had already found himself on the fringes of the team’s plans under Antonio Conte, and his successor, Massimiliano Allegri, had not changed course. Last season, Mazzocchi had logged just over 400 minutes in total across all competitions—a tally that was absolutely insufficient for a player aspiring to a starting role. What ultimately took away his playing time was the arrival of Costantino Favasuli, identified by the club as the future of Napoli’s right flank.

Yet, Mazzocchi’s time at Napoli had not been without its highlights. Having arrived in January 2024 from Salernitana for approximately 3 million euros, the fullback had signed a contract through 2027 with the goal of serving as Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s backup. In two and a half years with the Azzurri, he made 54 appearances across all competitions, also winning a Serie A title and an Italian Super Cup—trophies that will forever remain part of his legacy.