Napoli are in talks with Nottingham Forest midfielder Orel Mangala, but the Partenopei must decide whether to prioritise a midfielder or a centre-back, reports Matteo Moretto.
The Partenopei have already welcomed Pasquale Mazzocchi, Hamed Junior Traoré and Cyril Ngonge in the January transfer window but are expected to sign a new centre-back or a central midfielder.
Serie A and La Liga transfer pundit Matteo Moretto has told Caught Offside that the Partenopei are long-time admirers of Nottingham Forest midfielder Mangala and that talks between the two clubs have already begun.
However, there is still no agreement between the two parties as the Partenopei may need to sign two new players this month, so they can’t invest all their transfer budget on only one player.
Much depends on Walter Mazzarri’s tactics for the second part of the season. If the Tuscan tactician opts for a three-man defence, which he used in recent Supercoppa games against Fiorentina and Inter, then the Partenopei may prioritise a new defender, dropping Magala.
If, on the other hand, Mazzarri continues with a four-man defence, then Napoli will consider matching Forest’s demands for the Belgian midfielder.
Napoli are interested in a loan deal with an option to buy in the summer.
According to Moretto, today, Tuesday, January 23, could be a key date in negotiations between Napoli and Forest.
An intermediary from Mangala’s entourage has recently claimed that the 25-year-old midfielder would gladly move to the Stadio Maradona this month.