Reigning Serie A holders Napoli have reportedly intensified talks with Udinese to bring Lazar Samardzic to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. As per Fabrizio Romano, negotiations over the Serbia international’s move to southern Italy are ongoing, with the agreement between the sides ‘getting closer.’
Out-of-sorts Napoli are in the market for a new midfielder after sanctioning Elif Elmas’ €25 million transfer to RB Leipzig. Amidst one of the worst Scudetto-defending campaigns in recent Serie A history, Aurelio De Laurentiis is hellbent on reshaping his faltering squad to prevent further downfall.
Samardzic, who was one step away from signing a multi-year contract at Inter in the summer, could be the first in a long line of summer signings as Napoli bid to reignite their top-four pursuit. After his switch to Giuseppe Meazza fell through at the 11th hour, the 21-year-old has had to stay at Udinese.
His father, formerly accused of blowing up his son’s move to Lombardy, seems to have learned his lesson. He’s expected to touch down in Italy in the coming days to discuss Lazar’s future with Udinese as Napoli tighten the grip at the negotiating table.
With Samardzic’s contract at the Dacia Arena running out in 2026, it won’t be surprising if Udinese would force Napoli to relinquish the entire figure from Elmas’ departure. The left-footed midfielder has had a topsy-turvy start to 2023/24, tallying two goals and two assists in 17 league appearances. It could be Partenopei’s bargaining chip to lower the Friulians’ demands.
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