Liverpool should be monitoring the progress of Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae with a view to a move next summer. As per Il Mattino, the centre-back will have a release clause of £44m come into effect from July 2023. Given his performances since arriving in Naples in the summer, this should pique Liverpool’s interest. The South Korean has been nothing short of a revelation in Serie A. Joining from Fenerbahce as Kalidou Koulibaly’s nominal replacement, Kim had some big old boots to fill.
Category: Napoli
PSG BATTLE MANCHESTER UNITED FOR FABIAN RUIZ THIS SUMMER
According to a report by 90 min, Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz is a wanted man in the ongoing transfer window, with two of the biggest clubs in Europe prepared to fight for his signature. Both Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United are showing interest in the 26-year-old and could make a summer move for him, with PSG ready to shell out €25 million for him. Fabian Ruiz has been with Napoli since joining them from Real Betis in the 2018 summer transfer window. The Spaniard has been a regular for the Partenopei all these years, totalling 125 matches for them, in which he has scored 18 times and assisted 15 goals.
NAPOLI FACE SPANISH COMPETITION FOR DEULOFEU
Italian Serie A heavyweights Napoli are reportedly facing competition from Spanish La Liga for Udinese star Gerard Deulofeu. The Spanish international winger is attracting the interest of Napoli and other teams this summer with the player set to leave Udinese this summer. The report from Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo stated that two La Liga teams are also keen on signing Deulofeu from Udinese. Real Sociedad and Villarreal are the two Spanish La Liga teams interested in signing Deulofeu from Udinese.
Napoli fans thought they had Deulofeu in the bag with several reports claiming that the Partenopei are closing in on a deal for the former Everton and Barcelona winger. Napoli have already agreed personal terms with Deulofeu with the Spaniard set to earn €2m on a yearly basis excluding bonuses if his transfer to Napoli goes through. Continue reading NAPOLI FACE SPANISH COMPETITION FOR DEULOFEU
ARSENAL SCOUTING OSIMHEN EXTENSIVELY – REPORT
North London giants Arsenal have reportedly been scouting Napoli striker Victor Osimhen extensively as they bid to add more attacking reinforcements to the first team. CBS Sports reported the Arsenal interest in Napoli hitman Osimhen and that they have added him to their five-man transfer wishlist.
Arsenal opted not to sign an average replacement when Pierre-EmerickAubameyangleft the club to sign for Spanish La Liga outfit Barcelona during the winter transfer window. The exit of Aubameyang has left the Gunners with the duo of skipper Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as the remaining central striker options. Continue reading ARSENAL SCOUTING OSIMHEN EXTENSIVELY – REPORT
COPPA ITALIA: FIORENTINA TO FACE JUVENTUS
Fiorentina will take on Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-finals for a place in the final of the competition this season after they saw off hosts Atalantain a five-goal thriller during their quarterfinal tie in Bergamo on Thursday night. Serbian international striker DusanVlahovicof Juventus will have to chance to immediately face his former team Fiorentinatwice apart from their league meeting later this season. Fiorentina and Juventus are due to face each other in the league for the second and last time this season on the final day. For Coppa Italia, the first leg between the two teams is at ArtemioFranchi Stadium in Florence on March 2, while the second leg is at the Allianz Arena in Turin on April 21.
The €75m transfer that took Vlahovic from Fiorentina to Juventus was one of the biggest deals during the winter transfer window last month. Vlahovic made an instant impact as a new Juventus player as he scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win at home to Hellas Verona in the league clash played last weekend. As a matter of fact, the two major signings at Juventus last month were on target against Verona. In addition to Vlahovic, Swiss midfielder Dennis Zakaria also scored on his Juventus debut on the back of his transfer from German team Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Fiorentina have been underdogs in their last two Coppa Italia ties against Napoli and Atalanta, but they have managed to see off both teams to secure a place in the last four of the competition. They saw off Napoli in front of their home fans in the round of 16 before doing the same to Atalanta in the quarterfinals as mentioned earlier. The Napoli game ended 5-2 in favour of Fiorentina at the end of extra time with the hosts finishing the game with ten men, while Fiorentina had nine men. For the Atalantagame, it was done in 90 minutes but Fiorentina finished the game with ten men.
Fiorentina and Juventus will do battle in the second semi-final in the Coppa Italia this season, while the Milan duo of Inter Milan and AC Milan will face each other in the first semi-final.
NAPOLI EYEING TWO BUNDESLIGA TALENTS – REPORT
Italian top flight leaders Napoli are said to be on the trail of two talents from the German Bundesliga. According to II Correiredello Sport (CdS), Napoli want to sign Borussia Moenchengladbach star Florian Neuhaus and Augsburg central defender Felix Uduokhai.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis wants to strengthen his first team squad despite the excellent start to the new season. The team from Naples is sitting at the top of the table ahead of title rivals AC Milan on goal difference. Both Napoli and Milan have 32 points each after 13 league games. Defending champions Inter Milan are not far from the top two teams with 28 points from their first 13 games. The aforementioned trio are seen as the only ones with genuine title credentials in the Italian Serie A this season.
De Laurentiis has cast his transfer net into the German Bundesliga in a bid to boost his team’s title challenge with quality players. Both Neuhaus and Uduokhai are represented by the same player agent Christian Nerlinger. In addition, the two players are within the same age bracket as they are both 24-year-olds.
Neuhaus has become a regular fixture in the German senior national team squad and he’s on course to make the team for next year’s FIFA World Cup tournament on Qatari soil. He has two goals in nine appearances for Germany. On his part, Uduokhai has scored once in three appearances for Germany and he’s a utility player as he can function well in a lot of positions. Apart from the centre back position, Augsburg star Uduokhai can also play as a left-back and as a defensive midfielder. Recent reports claimed that Augsburg have slammed an asking price of €16m on the defender. The aforementioned revealed that his German club would be open to reducing the asking price for interested teams like Napoli.
SERIE A: NAPOLI MAINTAIN TOP SPOT
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Napoli have maintained their spot at the top of the Italian Serie A table after the latest round of games. Their position was under threat from second-placed AC Milan ahead of a tricky match with hosts Fiorentina on Sunday night.
NAPOLI JOIN THE RACE TO SIGN ARSENAL FORWARD
Italian Serie A outfit Napoli have become the latest club to join the race in the quest to sign France international attacking midfielder Houssem Aouar from Lyon, according to multiple reports from various sources. The French midfielder is under the radar of some of Europe’s big clubs and has earned the recognition he is currently getting after the scintillating series of performances he had for the French club last season. Arsenal were said to be the frontrunners for the midfielder’s signature but it looks like they have fallen out of line to seal his transfer and now other clubs are beginning to go ahead of the Gunners in the queue.
Aouar, 23, was a part of the brilliant attacking setup at Lyon in the French Ligue 1 last season and alongside Memphis Depay, he was an incredible player for Lyon. Depay has already sealed his desired move to Spanish La Liga giants Barcelona in the summer after refusing to sign a new contract with Lyon and with Aouar also not yet in agreement with the club to sign a new contract extension, he could be set for a move away before the end of the current transfer window.
After Arsenal, the next club that reportedly showed interest in the French star AR Juventus. The Italian giants are reportedly keen to add some firepower to their squad and identified the Arsenal target as a possible candidate to bolster their midfield ranks but they did not start any official talks with Lyon about the transfer.
Napili are now the latest side to be interested in the player and if they show serious interest to Lyon, they could seal the transfer before the end of the summer transfer window which is in ten days from now already.
NAPOLI LOSE BERTRAND SIGNING TO LEICESTER CITY
Leicester City have beaten Napoli to the signing of Ryan Bertrand, and the left-back is set to sign a two-year deal with the Foxes in the coming days. The former England international star was a free agent after leaving Southampton at the end of last season as both him and the South Coast club failed to reach an agreement over the extension of his contract. Bertrand left Southampton as one of their best players and continued to build his reputation as one of the best left-backs in the league but he was believed to be demanding too much at the St Mary’s and he will now start next season at the King Power Stadium after deciding against moving to the Stadio Olimpico.
Italian Serie A giants Napoli were very keen to sign Bertrand this summer and even held talks with him and his representative about a potential move to Italy but he was reportedly not satisfied with what the club were offering. While waiting for an improved offer from Napoli, Leicester came into the picture and stole a march over the Italian club and the player was pleased with what the Foxes were offering.
One of the major reasons for Bertrand’s acceptance of the Leicester City offer is the fact that he does not need to leave England, even though he would be entitled to playing in Europe if he agreed to sign for Napoli. The Bertrand move to Leicester is now subject to a medical and the signing of the necessary paperwork after which the deal will be made official. The player has always been admired by the Foxes manager Brendan Rogers and the former Celtic manager has expressed his delight over the completion of the deal.
Rogers said that he is finally relaxed that the transfer has been concluded and he is looking forward to working with Bertrand next season.
NAPOLI EYEING MOVE FOR LAMELA
TottenhamHotspur winger Erik Lamela is attracting serious interest from one of the biggest clubs in Italy according to the latest reports in the media. Napoli are one of the biggest clubs in Italy and they are said to be interested in the Argentine national team player.
The specific report from Corrieredello Sport claimed that Napoli see Lamela as the replacement for star forward Lorenzo Insigne if the Italian international leaves the club this summer. The long-term future of Insigne at Napoli is in serious doubts with the winger yet to sign a new deal at the club. Insigne has a contract at Napoli that runs out next summer meaning that he has one year left on his contract.
Napoli have a big decision to make on the player on whether to sell him this summer or risk losing him for free next summer if he does not pen a new deal.
Just like what’s obtainable with Insigne at Napoli, Lamela also has one year left on his Spurs deal and he’s said to be considering moving away from the club. A return to the Italian Serie A is a possibility for the winger who has made just five starts in the Premier League.
Lamela wants more playing time and he’s not likely to get that at Tottenham Hotspur who are struggling to qualify for European football. The North London giants need to beat Champions League chasers Leicester City on the final day of the current Premier League campaign to seal at least a place in the European Conference League next season though the Europa League is still a possibility.
Lamela signed for Spurs in the summer of 2013 in a deal worth £30m. The Argentine winger joined the club from Italian Serie A side AS Roma. He was one of the players signed by Tottenham Hotspur when they received around £85.3m from Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid for the transfer of Gareth Bale.