Napoli are expected to continue their big spending in the winter mercato in an attempt to secure silverware this season.
The Partenopei spent a reported €87 million on new players last summer as Rafael Benitez began to reshape the team following the departure of previous coach Walter Mazzarri to Inter and sale of star striker Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain for €64.5m.
A club record fee of €38.5m was spent on Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain, while other major summer signings included El Pipita’s Real Madrid team-mates Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon. Dries Mertens, Duvan Zapata, Rafael and Pepe Reina (on loan) also arrived in Naples.
However the Azzurri missed out on several defensive targets during the summer and are believed to be in the market for a central defender, full-back and holding midfielder in the January transfer window.
Whilst refusing to comment on specific transfer targets, Benitez has admitted that he expects some new arrivals.
“For January I hope for something but not all of these names that have appeared in the papers,” the Spaniard said during a press conference in late November.
“We have been working for many months in this sense, I am meeting with [sporting director Riccardo] Bigon continuously.
“I will not say, however, what we need. We have been paired with more than fifty players combined for the January market. I will have to ask the league to increase the squad size.
“Someone will arrive, but not fifty…”
Potential/Definite ins
Reports have it that the signing of Genoa left-back Luca Antonelli for a fee of between €7-8m is a done deal.
It has also been suggested that one or both of Alessandro Gamberini and Emanuele Calaio could see their moves from the Azzurri to Genoa made permanent as part of the agreement for the 26-year-old Italy international.
Benitez has been consistently linked with moves for several current and former Liverpool players. The former Reds boss has already brought in Pepe Reina on loan and is believed to be preparing a further raid in January for Daniel Agger.
While the Partenopei have been linked with numerous centre-backs in recent weeks, Agger is believed to be the top transfer target. According to British newspaper The Daily Mirror, Napoli are looking to secure loan the Danish international on an initial loan ahead of a permanent £8m move at the end of the season.
Although this offer is thought to have been turned down, negotiations and speculation are likely to escalate throughout the mercato.
Javier Mascherano, who can play in central midfield or as a centre-back, is also believed to have been in regular contact with former boss Benitez. However the Vesuviani reportedly face several obstacles to sign the former Liverpool player in January.
According to Il Mattino, Barcelona are unwilling to sell the Argentine international unless a replacement has already been secured. Mascherano is also keen to keep hold of his image rights, something that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has previously publicly stated that ‘no player’ he signs gets to keep.
With a move for Mascherano looking increasingly unlikely, the Azzurri may turn to his Barca team-mate Alex Song. The out-of-favour holding midfielder could join on an initial loan in January with an option to purchase the 26-year-old Cameroon international at the end of the campaign.
According to Sky Sport Italia, another name on Benitez’s wish-list is Olympique Marseille defender Nicolas N’koulou. The highly rated centre-back, who faced Napoli in the Champions League group phase, has a reported price-tag of around €11m.
The 23-year-old Cameroon international was named in the Ligue 1 team of the year in 2012 and 2013 and has also been linked with Chelsea and Barcelona.
Napoli have also been linked with a move for N’koulo’s Marseille team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.
Olympique Lyonnais defensive midfielder Maxime Gonalons was reportedly set to sign last summer before the player rejected the move, due to fears that he would be a regular starter.
However, talks have reportedly resumed with Lyon and in January the 24-year-old French international could well change his mind for €12m. According to Gazzetta dello Sport the Vesuviani have offered Gonalons a lucrative five year deal.
Potential/Definite Out
Neapolitan centre-back Paolo Cannavaro is likely to be the most high profile departure and is thought to be almost certainly leaving the club in January. The club captain has failed to break into Benitez’s first eleven this season, featuring in only four Serie A games and playing a total of just 266 minutes under the Spaniard.
Cannavaro’s representative, Enrico Fedele, has claimed on several occasions that the centre-back will seek a transfer in January and told Radio Marte that:
“There will be a meeting with the club soon. That’s where we’ll decide his future. It’s clear that we have to find a solution. For Benitez, Paolo is not a choice, so there’s little chance he will stay in Naples.”
Reports have suggested that the 32-year-old defender will leave the Stadio San Paolo in January for a reunion with Walter Mazzarri at Inter or even with another former Napoli boss, Edy Reja, at Lazio.
What needs to happen?
Napoli’s transfer window activity is likely to be a statement of intent about the ambitions of the club this season.
Despite being Serie A’s biggest spenders during the summer mercato, most of the spree was covered by the €64.5m sale of Cavani, with other sales such as Mario Santana to Genoa and a fifty per cent share of Luca Cigarini to Atalanta reducing the Vesuviani’s net spend to around €14m.
With Napoli are currently in a strong financial position, the question remains whether club president Aurelio De Laurentiis can be convinced that spending in January will make the Partenopei into serious contenders for silverware this season.
While the movie mogul has publicly confirmed that reinforcements will be available in January, he has also admitted that he hoped that new signings would not be needed and that he is generally contrary to buying mid-season.
