Serie A underachievers Napoli are heightening the pressure on Torino to allow Alessandro Buongiorno to join Antonio Conte’s squad. According to TMW, they’ve intensified negotiations with the Granata after holding discussions with the player’s representative on Tuesday.
Buongiorno has emerged as Conte’s number-one priority to address the Partenopei’s defensive crisis. Napoli failed to sign an appropriate replacement for Kim Min-jae last summer, which returned to haunt them in 2023/24. Natan’s arrival didn’t produce the desired result.
Despite his undeniable potential, the Brazilian must improve and gain experience to reach the Bayern Munich star’s level. On the other hand, Buongiorno is an established Serie A defender with 99 top-flight appearances under his belt and would be a massive addition for Napoli.
It looks like the Italy international is keen to complete the transfer. Buongiorno is ready to return to the negotiating table after putting talks on hold during Gli Azzurri’s dismal Euro 2024 campaign. But Torino will only let him go on their terms.
Club president Urbano Cairo has set a €40 million price tag on his prized asset’s head. He’s sticking to his guns, while Napoli have thus far proved reluctant to go beyond the €35m. Conte’s men hope to close the gap by including several performance-related add-ons.
Napoli and Buongiorno have agreed on personal terms. The in-demand defender has accepted a five-year contract offer worth €2.5m per season. It’s now up to the Partenopei to convince Cairo to change his mind and sanction the Italian’s departure.
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