Napoli missed out on their main target for the left-back position. Emerson Palmieri officially joined Olympique Lyonnais on loan from Chelsea yesterday. The Partenopei are looking to bring in another player to compete with Mario Rui, but they might end up standing pat, Radio Kiss Kiss reports.
Napoli are monitoring multiple targets, but they are too expensive for them at the moment. According to Calciomercato.com, they are facing major difficulties on a few deals. Lille do not want to sell Reinildo Mandava and are currently negotiating his extension. The talks with Villarreal for Pervis Estupinan have gone on for too long, and the Spanish club now prefers keeping him.
The Partenopei have laid their eyes also on AZ Alkmaar’s Owen Winjdal and Getafe’s Mathias Olivera. The latter has a €20M release clause, and it seems unlikely Napoli will activate it. They are operating on a strict budget, and they would like to acquire somebody on an initilian loan. They seriously risk coming up empty-handed.
At that point, coach Luciano Spalletti would have no alternatives but to rely on the in-house options. Faouzi Ghoulam is completing the rehab from yet another major injury and should be available after the first break. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Juan Jesus can adapt to the position if necessary. Kevin Malcuit should stay at the club to provide depth in the back. Moreover, the manager appreciates 20-year-old Alessandro Zanoli. He would be more natural on the right flank, but he has held his own on the other wing during the pre-season.