Conte Asks Napoli Hierarchy for Three January Additions

Antonio Conte wants more men he can trust to fuel the Scudetto ambitions of Napoli and zeroed in on three roles. He demanded one extra center-back behind the two starters, a left-back should Leonardo Spinazzola depart, and a new midfielder, Sky reports.

In addition, if Giacomo Raspadori left, the gaffer would want an adequate replacement, even if the Italian attacker plays sparingly. Cristiano Biraghi would be an easy fix since Fiorentina have frozen him out. Danilo slightly changed his tune after declaring he’d stay at Juventus, adding the caveat “as long as the team wants me,” after the game against Venezia.

Napoli shortlisted Nemanja Matic to meet one of the requests by Conte. The boss already coached him at Chelsea. Plus, he’s familiar with Serie A given his time at Roma. He transferred again after his controversial move to Rennes, for which he was lambasted by José Mourinho. He Olympique Lyonnais in January 2024 for €2.6M.

The Serbian talisman has also starred for Benfica and Manchester United during the prime of his career. Fiorentina are keen on him as well.

Our Take on Napoli and Conte

They are indeed thin in those roles, also because the gaffer quickly discarded some newcomers and fringe players that could have perhaps been useful. It looks like their winter window won’t be super lavish after splurging in the summer. Therefore, they’ll have to settle with what the market has to offer. Matic was perfectly viable in the Italian capital a couple of years ago. However, signing mainly veterans would be a short-sighted strategy that could encumber their payroll eventually.

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