The Christmas that just passed did not bring nice gifts off the pitch to the Napoli Of Conte. Who was able to close his 2025 in Cremona with a success, but he didn’t have great sensations away from it. Indeed: the semi-blockade of the blue market for January is a further challenge to face for Manna and the scouting team that has been trying for weeks to imagine the right move to make. The Commission’s decision angered the entire board: because the club is healthy and doesn’t understand why it should inject new liquidity when the accounts are in order. A more unique than rare example in Italy. But everything, at the moment, is at a standstill: even the arrival of 2008 Pereyra from Argentina – the very young Boca Juniors playmaker has been followed by the Azzurri in recent months – is a puzzle because first there is much more important cases to be resolved which can direct not only the transfer campaign but also the next six months of the season.
To recap: if no one leaves, no one arrives. This, making it easier, is the rule that the Napoli will have to follow to try shopping this winter window. Also for this reason Lorenzo Lucca’s position is on standby: the former Udinese player knows well that there are foreign clubs (West Ham in the Premier League) but also Italian ones (Roma? Lazio? Como?) who would be interested in at least understanding his conditions – the striker’s agent has been looking around for weeks – but everything will also depend on the immediate future of Romelu Lukaku and since his return. Which doesn’t seem immediate yet. And so we will wait until mid-January to understand. On the list of departures there are the usual names: Marianucci (the Cremonese faced on Sunday is a possibility but a loan negotiation needs to be started), Ambrosino, Genoa and Parma who are looking at Vergara with interest.
Napoli, Hojlund: «I’m enjoying everything. If Conte calls you, you can only say yes”
Obviously they are also on loan. But also Mazzocchi there remains a pawn that can move around the board to make room for a new winger. By the way, well beyond the search for the midfielder, Conte would not say no to a reinforcement in that area of the pitch. An element that can lend a hand to Lang, Politano, Neres, helping the battery of offensive wingers and above all “freeing” Elmas and leaving him the possibility of operating more as a midfielder. For Mainoo we will always be on the lookout, but United have never changed their version regarding his possible sale. The injuries of Amorim and the African Cup they also ruined Napoli’s plans for this January, while Conte awaits the return plans for Anguissa – end of January, between Copenhagen, Juventus, Chelsea – and also Gilmour. De Bruyne he will be the last to show up. Time is needed, it will be a slow-burning market, but Manna doesn’t lie: anything can happen.
