Missing out on Champions League football for the second year in a row might have a significant impact on the future of Napoli, as the financial hit could lead to an overhaul of the roster and to the departure of some top players, Gazzetta dello Sport reported today.
The outlet estimates that finishing outside of the top four would lead to €50M losses that would have to be made up in some other ways. Moreover, president Aurelio De Laurentiis is deeply worried that the poor season will cause the devaluation of his best pieces, whom he decided to keep despite receiving very good bids in the past.
Factoring in the difficult situation caused by the pandemic, Napoli could be looking to cut the wage bill in half come this summer, which would lead to the sale of at least Kalidou Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz. However, it is highly unlikely that PSG and Manchester City will again offer €70/80M for the 29-year-old defender and also the €60M asked to Real Madrid and Barcelona for the Spanish midfielder have become wishful thinking. Elseid Hysaj and Nikola Maksimovic are set to leave the club at the end of their contracts and also Stanislav Lobotka will be showed the door after an underwhelming stint.
On the coaching front, the owner would prefer Gennaro Gattuso to finish the campaign at helm and hire a up-and-comer like Vincenzo Italiano or Ivan Juric in June, with Rafa Benitez returning as technical director. However, he would not reject the resignation of the current manager, Gazzetta informed.