Summer dealings are gathering momentum at the Diego Maradona Stadium, with Napoli closing in on a deal to sign David Neres from Benfica. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Italians’ official bid for the Brazilian winger encountered immediate approval from the Portuguese club.
Per earlier reports, Napoli will part with approximately €25 million to sign the former Ajax and Shakhtar Donetsk forward. Neres has already agreed on personal terms with the Partenopei. He’ll put pen to paper on a four-year deal and join Antonio Conte’s troops, presumably in time for Napoli’s curtain-raising league fixture against Verona this Sunday.
It’s been a relatively underwhelming transfer window for Napoli thus far. That’s largely thanks to Victor Osimhen’s unsorted future. Aurelio De Laurentiis had counted on a significant transfer fee from the Nigerian’s sale to unlock the incoming market. However, the ex-Lille striker is still in Naples.
That could soon change, with Napoli and Chelsea set to resume talks for the 25-year-old. Sporting director Giovanni Manna is in London to negotiate a player-plus-cash swap deal for Osimhen involving Conte’s top summer target, Romelu Lukaku. Though such a formula looks far-fetched, it appears Napoli’s last chance to offload their unsettled star.
Osimhen’s departure would help Napoli raise funds to address other shortcomings in Conte’s squad. But the clock is ticking. Conte is desperate to see Lukaku in the middle of his new-look attack, with Neres tipped to take Matteo Politano’s place on the right wing.
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