Now that Napoli have confirmed their title and spent a week celebrating, they can start looking to the future. As is so often the case for clubs in their position however, it’s potentially a bleak one.
Like so many surprise title winners of European leagues in recent years, they’re set to be torn apart by hungry Premier League teams desperate to sign themselves a slice of that magic.
Kim Min Jae already looks certain to join Manchester United, and Victor Osimhen is coveted by most of Europe, including Chelsea.
But there are now other key players being linked to the Blues from Luciano Spalletti’s starting XI. Local paper Il Mattino today claim that Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Stanislav Lobotka are both being watched by Chelsea, who have asked for “news” on their status.
The bad news is that according to this article, both are considered “untransferable” by team owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Kvara is wanted by half of Europe, and is also playing in a position where we need to sell before we buy, but Lobotka is a little more under the radar and would in theory be a really nice pickup as we’re looking for a midfielder who can shield the back 4 effectively. Sadly we know the experience of negotiating with Napoli is rarely “nice,” and usually ends up with one team getting fleeced.
The summer has not yet begun – we will see what remains of this Napoli team by the end of it.