Which new signings Conte absolutely needs at Napoli

Antonio Conte has been appointed as the new Napoli coach, and Lorenzo Bettoni argues that the Italian tactician will need at least four new signings to hit the ground running at the Stadio Maradona.

Conte has officially signed a three-year contract with Napoli and will be tasked with making the Partenopei credible title contenders again after a highly disappointing season in which President Aurelio De Laurentiis changed three coaches.

There are several reports on players Conte wants to bring to the Stadio Maradona, from Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku, but regardless of the identity of new signings, there are departments that the Italian tactician surely needs to strengthen.

First and foremost, Conte will need at least one centre-back. Napoli failed to replace Kim properly after sending the South Korea international to Bayern Munich last summer, and Torino‘s Alessandro Buongiorno is said to be a primary target for the Azzurri, even though Urbano Cairo does not want to sell his captain.

Udinese‘s Nehuén Pérez, Real Madrid’s Rafa Marin and Feyenoord’s Dávid Hancko are also among the players linked with a summer move to the Stadio Maradona.

Which new signings Conte absolutely needs at Napoli

Napoli won’t be playing in European competitions next season so Conte may not need a deep squad, but a further centre-back for his iconic three-man defence will be required if Giovanni Di Lorenzo confirms he wants to leave at all costs.

The Italy international can play as a right wingback or centre-back in a three-man defence, so Conte will undoubtedly need a new player for the right flank if Di Lorenzo leaves and Pasquale Mazzocchi isn’t considered strong enough for a starting role.

Conte is expected to rely on André Zambo Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka in the middle of the park, but at least a new central midfielder will be needed, while a new left-back will join the Maradona only if Mario Rui goes elsewhere so this is not a priority at this stage.

The attack seems pretty much settled with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Matteo Politano and Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian star is expected to leave, but Napoli haven’t yet received an offer. If he does go, a new striker will become the absolute priority for the club with Lukaku, Jonathan David, Artem Dovbyk and Viktor Gyökeres among the potential replacements.

It goes without saying that Napoli will also need to replace Kvaratskhelia if the Georgia international doesn’t sign a contract extension and PSG make a big offer to secure his signature. However, Conte strongly relies on Kvara and Di Lorenzo and is unwilling to part company with the pair this summer.