Napoli have lost both left-backs in rapid succession and have inquired about Melvin Bard to plug the hole in January. Mathias Olivera is expected to miss a couple of months due to an MCL sprain, while Mario Rui should be back before the end of the year following a thigh strain.
According to Il Roma (via Mediaset), the Partenopei reached out to Nice to ask for the defender. They were met with a €15M request. The Azzurri filed the answer away and will think about whether to go after him in January.
Bard is the first specialist linked to Napoli following the injuries at the position. They quickly dismissed the possibility of signing a free agent. He has been one of the cornerstones of the high-flying Francesco Farioli-led Nice thus far. He has logged 2 assists in 13 appearances.
The 23-year-old is in his third season with Le Gym following a €3M move from Olympique Lyonnais in 2021. He has accumulated caps with every French youth side but has never been called up by the first team.
Our Take on Napoli and Bard
The Azzurri surely like to shop in France and would pursue a young-ish player if they were to make a move. The injuries, while unfortunate, might not be severe enough to necessarily lead to an addition. If they went in that direction, they should sign somebody who could play on both flanks, deputizing Giovanni Di Lorenzo too, and loan out Alessandro Zanoli.
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