Napoli made a serious attempt to sign Nicolas Tagliafico, but they will likely come up empty-handed. The fullback is also being pursued by Barcelona. He reportedly prefers to join them rather than the Azzurri, Il Mattino reports.
Neither side has satisfied Ajax’s requests yet, though. The left-back is keen on transferring in January, while his club is not as convinced about letting him go. In any case, they would rather sell him outright than temporarily. Napoli and Barcelona have both offered a loan with option to buy for Tagliafico so far.
The Catalans have better chances of swaying the Dutch side in the next few days, and the Partenopei are seeking an alternative. They have re-opened talks with Getafe for Mathias Olivera, Sky Sport informs. They offered a temporary spell with a €10M obligation to acquire him. The president of Los Azulones already stated that he did not want to part ways with the defender in January.
If they were unsuccessful again, Napoli would try to seal the deal to bring him in next summer, as the Uruguayan appears to be a more attainable target than Tagliafico. The Partenopei are likely to finish the season with the current pair, Mario Rui and Faouzi Ghoulam. The Algerian fullback is on an expiring deal, and the management has already decided not to re-up it, Radio Kiss Kiss informs. Instead, the Portuguese specialist is under contract until 2025. His performances have often been up-and-down, prompting the front office to search for a new starter at the position.