Master in crisis
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Italian champions SSC Napoli, who have since slipped to 9th place in the Serie A table after just two wins in the last seven league matches, are relying on the transfer expert’s information. Fabrizio Romano According to this, just before the attacking midfielder Hamed Junior Traorè had been loaned by AFC Bournemouth. Gianluca Di Marzio also reports that the Azzurri are targeting two more professionals.
The post-championship season has proven difficult for Napoli so far. Spalletti’s successor, Rudi Garcia, had to resign in November after 16 games and a scoring average of 1.75 points; successor Walter Mazzarri managed only four victories in the first eleven matches. On Saturday, the club won 2-1 against Salernitana with a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Although they survived the Champions League group stage and met FC Barcelona in the round of 16, the qualification for international business via the league is in danger. In the cup, the champions failed prematurely in the round of 16 against the newly promoted Frosinone. Since September 2023, the club has lost around €90 million in squad value due to a bad season (for statistics).
New double management Osimhen/Martínez: the most valuable professionals in Serie A
It is not surprising that the sports management is trying to find reinforcements. According to Romano, the “Cerises” professional Traorè is already on his way. The 23-year-old Ivorian international, whose contract in England runs until 2028, has just been loaned with a purchase option of 25 million euros. It seems that the parties involved have agreed on the terms of the contract, only the medical examination of the right (Site notre bureau spécialisé) measuring 1.77 meters is still pending. This is also possible in the short term as Traore was not named in the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in his home country.
The attacking player only moved to Bournemouth last summer following a previous loan spell from US Sassuolo, but made just three league appearances in the first half of the season due to illness. The 23-year-old already has the experience of 140 appearances for Neroverdi and FC Empoli in the Italian top flight, with 18 goals and 13 assists to his name. Napoli hope that Traore can help the Mazzarri team immediately without a long adaptation period.
Naples seeks reinforcements: Barak and Pérez are also the focus
According to information from Di Marzio, the focus is also on Antonin Barak as an attacking midfielder. A loan for the 29-year-old Czech was requested from his club in Florence. The path to Udinese’s Lazar Samardžić, who was also traded to Napoli in recent weeks to succeed Eljif Elmas (24), transferred to Leipzig, probably became uncertain at first in view of the new developments – but his teammate Nehuén Pérez (contract until 2027) seems to be at the center of defense. Samardžić is also being courted by Juventus, this would be independent of the rumors about a commitment from Jordan Henderson (33 years old).
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