Napoli believe to have a better shot at persuading Antonio Conte this time around and are going all-out in their chase. Aurelio De Laurentiis is ready to offer a three-year contract with €8M wages. If things didn’t go well, the boss would be allowed to leave without monetary penalties, Il Mattino informed.
The gaffer would have a big say in the transfer market. The Partenopei will have a large budget, perhaps up to €200M, if a team triggers Victor Osimhen’s €130M release clause. He’d have complete liberty in choosing his staff. Instead, they have already found a sporting director. Giovanni Manna joined Juventus after he had left. If successful, they could target two of his pet players, Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski and Romelu Lukaku. The latter will head back to Chelsea at first.
Napoli are in pole position because Conte wants to return to Serie A and there might not be other prestigious openings. Inter and Roma are widely expected to stick with their current managers, even if Simone Inzaghi and Daniele De Rossi are due for new contracts.
The most serious threat to the Partenopei’s plans is Milan. They are leaning toward keeping Stefano Pioli, but their decision isn’t final yet. Instead, Juventus are zeroing in on Thiago Motta to eventually succeed Massimiliano Allegri.
If Napoli couldn’t land Conte, they’d either appoint Vincenzo Italiano or seek ways to retain Francesco Calzona. The current manager would be the least expensive of the lot and is well-regarded inside the club.
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