We haven’t remembered such a hot summer for a while. Not even the revolution of 2022 had been so agitated. Napoli’s new direction, with Giovanni Manna as sporting director and Antonio Conte on the bench, is starting off in a way that couldn’t even have been imagined. The three most representative players in the squad are breaking with the club and although the club always maintains its position very clearly, the future is truly unpredictable. The last one to put his foot down to leave was Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Both his father Badri and his agent Mamuka Jugeli declared, during a broadcast on a local broadcaster, that the player has no intention of staying in Naples because he wants to play in the Champions League. Before the start of the European Championships, Paris Saint-Germain had received the yes of the winger on a five-year contract at around 8 million euros per season. The offer of 60 million to Napoli was deemed too low at Castel Volturno, Aurelio De Laurentiis basically doesn’t sit down to negotiate for less than double. Conte expressly requested that Kvaratskhelia remain. The Georgian has an agreement for another three years, the president is pushing to renegotiate the terms. He has already delivered a new draft with a salary of around 5 million, the deadline extended to 2028 and the inclusion of a release clause, so as to be sure of monetizing in the face of a transfer.
Kvara?
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De Laurentiis absolutely did not like the position taken by Jugeli and the footballer’s family, he demands that the value of an agreement signed be honored with professionalism. He does not want to comply with the logic of continuous adjustments, commissions and other dynamics of the sector that he does not share. If Kvaratskhelia does not accept the renewal, he will remain a Napoli member under current conditions, unless a buyer presents himself ready to spend an amount deemed appropriate.
by Lorenzo
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The desire to leave the team had also been expressed by Giovanni Di Lorenzo, through the agent Mario Giuffredi. The captain was greatly disappointed by De Laurentiis’s consideration, who considers every player transferable. Conte and Oriali have had several telephone conversations with the former Empoli player, for the coach Di Lorenzo is a pillar for his project. He appreciates their human values and flexibility, being able to play the role of third or fourth in defense and full-field lateral. Giovanni also has a very long contract, expiring in 2028 with an option for another year, at 3 million per season. But money has nothing to do with it here, on the contrary. In recent days there was a meeting between the management, Conte and Giuffredi. There has been a slight rapprochement, but we are still far from being able to say with certainty that Di Lorenzo will stay. However, Napoli remains confident, also by virtue of the current agreements.
osimhen
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Where the club’s firmness could be derogated, however, is for the situation of Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian signed a renewal worth 10 million per year at Christmas with a release clause of between 120 and 130 million. To date, however, no one has come forward. Chelsea have no spending margin and are not that interested in the striker, so even setting up a swap for Lukaku proved difficult. Arsenal are interested, but are probably not willing to invest that much. For the moment, PSG prefers Kvaratskhelia to fill the void left by Mbappé. The channel could be reopened to Saudi Arabia, which the center forward is not currently considering for sporting reasons. However, it is not so obvious that Napoli will be able to fix him and collect that amount. Furthermore, without its sale, a large part of the market is blocked. Time could soften the requests and convince De Laurentiis to find a different compromise. A case – history teaches us – decidedly rare.
