Journalist and transfer expert Paolo Barjija shared insights on the future of the Napoli club and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on Radio Capri’s program Bordocampo.
“It appears Napoli will start the new season under the guidance of Stefano Pioli. From my sources, it’s clear Antonio Conte had no intention of joining Napoli. As an alternative, Fiorentina’s coach Vincenzo Italiano is being considered. While there’s chatter about Gian Piero Gasperini, he’s likely to extend his contract with Atalanta. Pioli currently earns a salary of 4 million euros per season at Milan, and is unlikely to accept less at Napoli,” Barjija opined.
“Conte’s interest also continues. While Milan is moving, Napoli fans want a new leader, yet this alone won’t resolve all the issues.
“Napoli can’t afford to repeat past mistakes before the upcoming season. The president must exercise caution to avoid mistakes. Whether Aurelio De Laurentiis has learned from previous missteps remains unclear. Luciano Spalletti was left to manage alone, despite having capable staff. This stemmed from a poor coaching decision last summer. Hopefully, the new sporting director, Giovanni Mana, will fare better than his predecessor, Mauro Meluso. Talks of bringing in Romelu Lukaku as a replacement for Victor Osimen are circulating, but unnecessary spending should be avoided. Priority lies in securing three defenders, a central striker, and a midfielder to replace Piotr Zielinski.
“Regarding Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, it’s unclear if he intends to extend his contract. In my view, selling may be the best option. It’s a complex matter requiring careful consideration—whether to offload now or retain a dissatisfied player in the event of contract non-renewal,” he said.
