Carlo Ancelotti says he is ‘hopeful’ Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez will become a Napoli player soon.
Napoli remain locked in negotiations for James, with the hold-up believed to be over whether he joins on a permanent basis or on loan.
“I don’t know if he’ll come, but we hope so,” Ancelotti told reporters from Dimaro.
“I know him very well, he can play in all the midfield positions. I used him as a left winger, as a No 10 and and even on the right.
Carlo Ancelotti says he is ‘hopeful’ Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez will become a Napoli player soon.
Napoli remain locked in negotiations for James, with the hold-up believed to be over whether he joins on a permanent basis or on loan.
“I don’t know if he’ll come, but we hope so,” Ancelotti told reporters from Dimaro.
“I know him very well, he can play in all the midfield positions. I used him as a left winger, as a No 10 and and even on the right.
“His position on the pitch isn’t a problem. He’s adaptable, he can play in many positions.
“As for the No 10 shirt, the important thing is that he puts on the Azzurri jersey. His number isn’t important. However, he needs time and patience.”
The Coach was then asked whether he would swap captain Lorenzo Insigne for Inter striker Mauro Icardi.
“No, I wouldn’t. Insigne is Napoli’s captain and we’re all happy that he’s staying here.
“As for Lozano, he’s a different player to Icardi. They have different characteristics. One is a finisher, a centre-forward. The other is more modern, he can play anywhere.
“We’ve been linked with many players and we’re interested in many of them, but the problem is that many other teams want them too.”