Despite the words of his agents, who hinted at a departure, Napoli still have some chances to keep David Ospina. Coach Luciano Spalletti is pushing for such solution. On the other hand, president Aurelio De Laurentiis is skeptical about meeting his contractual requests.
The gaffer partly explained his reasoning in the most recent pre-game presser: “The goalkeeper no longer simply has to be able to make saves. He needs to know how to start the action like defenders. Everybody is doing the same thing at this point, even at the youth level. The opponents press a lot, often man-to-man, and it is not easy to maintain the composure. Some mistakes are part of the learning curve.”
The Colombian shot-stopper excels with the ball on his feet. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the main hurdle is economic. Ospina asked Napoli for €2M per year and the team would not enjoy any fiscal benefits on his wages, differently from when he joined from Arsenal. The veteran is not hell-bent on leaving. It will probably take a face-to-face meeting with the chairman to close the gap, but an agreement is still possible.
According to Il Mattino, it is unlikely that Napoli would turn to Alex Meret even if Ospina departed. The younger goalie is up for an extension and wants to be a full-time starter. Instead, the club would pair him up with another reliable player, and he would have to compete. The Azzurri risk bidding farewell to both their options in the role.