After being named as the new Napoli coach this week, Carlo Ancelotti has already set about reshaping his squad and has identified Zenit Saint-Petersburg midfielder Leandro Paredes as a key transfer target.
The Argentina international is no stranger to Serie A after joining the Russian club from Roma last summer, in a deal worth an initial €23 million, plus a further €4m in bonuses.
However, Paredes is thought to be open to a return to Italy after a single season with Zenit and Ancelotti is keen to bring the former Empoli man in, report Tuttomercatoweb.com.
The 23-year-old was initially swayed to join Zenit by former coach Roberto Mancini, who has since departed to take on the Italy job, and is now keeping his options open.
Napoli also see Paredes as an ideal replacement for in-demand Jorginho, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United, and would look to invest any funds raised from his sale into securing a deal with Zenit.
Any approach to bring Paredes to the Stadio San Paolo is likely to set the Partenopei back around €35m, with the former Boca Juniors star establishing himself as a key player for Zenit.
Indeed, Paredes has scored six goals in 39 appearances this term, as well as contributing a further 11 assists from midfield.
