New Napoli coach Rudi Garcia is reportedly holding up the transfer of Alessandro Zanoli to Sporting CP, even after an offer worth €8m was received.
According to several sources including Tuttomercatoweb and Calciomercato.com, Garcia has warned the club he does not want the Italian to be sold.
It is a similar situation to the one experienced last season, when the right-back was eventually loaned out to Sampdoria in January in exchange for Bartosz Bereszynski.
A product of the Napoli youth academy, the 22-year-old right-back is eager for more playing time and is said to be flattered by the focus placed on him by Sporting CP.
However, Garcia maintains Zanoli is a valuable member of the squad and should remain at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
If Zanoli were to be sold, then Napoli would replace him with Hellas Verona wing-back Marco Davide Faraoni.
Genoa are also interested in signing Zanoli on loan with an option to buy.