Reigning Serie A title holders Napoli are reportedly willing to listen to offers for their second-string winger Hirving Lozano. As per Calciomercato, Aurelio De Laurentiis won’t risk losing the Mexico international on a free transfer next summer.
De Laurentiis is open to letting Lazo stay if he signs a new deal. But the Napoli bigwig wants the 27-year-old to take a wage cut. A potential contract extension would see the former PSV Eindhoven forward reduce his salary from €4.5 million a season to €3m per year.
That prospect looks far-fetched as Lozano can still land a lucrative contract away from Napoli. Despite a lack of high-end clients in Europe, the Mexican has admirers across the ocean. Major League Soccer franchise Los Angeles have identified him as a suitable replacement for retired Gareth Bale.
Napoli paid PSV a then-club record fee of €42m to capture Lozano’s services in 2019. Given his contract situation, there’s no way they can recoup that figure. However, De Laurentiis isn’t enthusiastic about allowing the versatile forward to run down his contract.
Therefore, a summer exit is well on the cards. In case Lozano departs the club in the coming weeks, Napoli could pursue either Edon Zhegrova from Lille or Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini. New boss Rudi Garcia holds both players in high esteem, especially the former.
Napoli had also thought about launching a bid for Shakhtar Donetsk’s Tete. But the Brazilian is now on the verge of joining Fenerbahce.
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