Napoli’s impending Serie A title, their first since 1990, could be secured this week away at Udinese which will spark wild celebrations amongst the people of Naples and their many fans around the world.
Whilst the Partenopei faithful will be lining the streets of Naples, behind the scenes, the club will be planning how to retain the Scudetto and have a real go at the Champions League again next season.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes they can do just that, as he recently said: “You can’t say that Napoli is a bad team because they are out of the Champions League. It’s not like that, I saw them and I was impressed by how they played against Milan. I’m sure that next year Napoli will be back in the Champions League, because they will win the league and they will try again”.
Keeping hold of Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia key
Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis has already confirmed that current coach Luciano Spalletti will remain in charge next season. Keeping hold of their stars will surely be top of De Laurentiis’ and Spalletti’s agenda with Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia being eyed up by some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Both players will command fees of well over £100 million. Kvaratskhellia’s contract runs until June 2028 while Osimhen’s runs out in the summer of 2025.
After the renewals of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka, Victor Osimhen will surely be next on the list. If the player refuses to extend, De Laurentiis will have a decision to make; cash in on his star striker or take the risk and let the contract run into the final two years which will significantly diminish his value.
Big Summer ahead for Napoli De Laurentiis
There has been widespread talk throughout the season about what many people believe was Napoli’s downfall in the Champions League, which is their squad depth. The aim this summer will be to keep their star players whilst adding quality to the squad.
Chief scout Maurizio Micheli will be in charge of summer recruitment alongside Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, midfield reinforcements will be top of the agenda, with Tanguy Ndombele expected to return to Tottenham Hotspur and Diego Demme moving on, possibly back to the Bundesliga.
Two players who have caught the eye of Micheli and Giuntoli and they are 19-year-old physical central midfielder Pape Diop, who currently plays for Zulte Waregem in the Belgian Pro League, and promising young German midfielder Lazar Samardzic, who plays for Udinese could be seen as a possible replacement for Piotr Zielinski.
Should Osimhen move on for the riches of the Premier League, one player who is on Napoli’s radar is exciting young Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund.
One thing for sure is that it is an exciting time to be a Napoli fan and should De Laurentiis’ and his staff get the recruitment right this summer and keep their star players, next season could be even better.
