Aurelio De Laurentiis said Napoli have “already signed a player who scored 20 goals and plays abroad,” while the goalkeeper will be “Rui Patricio or Bernd Leno.”
The President gave several lengthy interviews to various newspapers and television channels, so has been on a media blitz.
Some of his comments suggested Coach Maurizio Sarri is on the way out, but he was also surprisingly open on their transfer strategy.
Aurelio De Laurentiis said Napoli have “already signed a player who scored 20 goals and plays abroad,” while the goalkeeper will be “Rui Patricio or Bernd Leno.”
The President gave several lengthy interviews to various newspapers and television channels, so has been on a media blitz.
Some of his comments suggested Coach Maurizio Sarri is on the way out, but he was also surprisingly open on their transfer strategy.
“I don’t think this is a year zero. We have a squad of important players with some who have release clauses and could leave, but we’re already working with (director of sport Cristiano) Giuntoli to sign others who are even more important,” De Laurentiis told Il Mattino and the Corriere dello Sport.
“I will reveal this: I have already signed a player who has scored 20 goals and plays abroad. But I promised that I won’t tell you who it is.”
This sparked speculation as to who the hitman could be, as only 22 players have scored at least 20 goals in their domestic league this season.
Options include Jonas of Benfica, Galatasaray forward Bafetimbi Gomis, Iago Aspas of Celta Vigo, Sporting CP hitman Bas Dost, winger Florian Thauvin of Olympique Marseille and Cracovia’s Krzystof Piatek.
The Corriere della Sera believe the man in question is FC Porto striker Moussa Marega, who scored 20 goals in 33 Portuguese league games.
Meanwhile, Pepe Reina had his goodbye dinner with the Napoli squad this week and will join Milan as a free agent, so De Laurentiis confirmed the two targets to replace him in goal.
“In terms of goalkeepers, we’re looking at either Rui Patricio or Bernd Leno,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We are negotiating for Rui Patricio, but I also met with emissaries for Leno, so we are evaluating the situation.”
Rui Patricio is 30 years old and Sporting CP expect around €15m for the shot-stopper, while Leno would cost closer to €25m from Bayer Leverkusen.