Napoli Coach Maurizio Sarri insists he wants Pepe Reina to “remain our goalkeeper for a long time”.
The Spaniard has been linked with a move away from the Partenopei, who are believed to be looking for a younger option between the posts.
However, it appears the tactician is keen to hold onto the former Liverpool man, who has been linked with Newcastle United.
“He’s a point of reference, he’s a great lad,” Sarri told Tuttomercatoweb.
“I hope Reina remains our goalkeeper for a long time.”
Napoli Coach Maurizio Sarri insists he wants Pepe Reina to “remain our goalkeeper for a long time”.
The Spaniard has been linked with a move away from the Partenopei, who are believed to be looking for a younger option between the posts.
However, it appears the tactician is keen to hold onto the former Liverpool man, who has been linked with Newcastle United.
“He’s a point of reference, he’s a great lad,” Sarri told Tuttomercatoweb.
“I hope Reina remains our goalkeeper for a long time.”
Sarri also reflected on his side’s season, as well as looking ahead to the forthcoming campaign.
“I’m satisfied. We went out of the Coppa Italia against the team which won the trophy [Juventus].
“It’s the same in the Champions League, we went out in the Last 16 against the team which was crowned champions. Maybe in the draws we didn’t get very lucky.
“The Champions League final? They [Juventus and Real Madrid] are two great teams, it’s clear that if Real Madrid get on top in a game they can hurt you.
“We were eliminated by a great team, that much is obvious.
“Third-place? To get 86 points and not get [directly] into the Champions League is tough. There’s satisfaction for what we did in terms of points, but a bit of regret at missing out on the Champions League by a point.
“The preliminary round is very difficult for Italian teams, and it has both positive and negative repercussions for the League. It’s bad to be the last Italian team to have to go through the preliminary.
“Next season? If [Lorenzo] Insigne has another leap in quality he’ll become one of the best in the world.
“He’s already made a leap in quality, he had an extraordinary season, he got more goals and assists than other players on other teams who get lauded by the Press.
“He’s a very strong and complete player, he’s always had great talent but now he’s succeeding in affecting the game.
“Arkadiusz Milik? He’s already proven himself to be an important player, and he game back quickly from his injury.
“Then [Dries] Martens exploded in that role and we couldn’t do without the Belgian. It would have been nice to see Mertens win the ranking of top-scorers.”
Milik last week expressed his frustration at not being allowed to go to the Under-21 European Championships.
“The lad respects the club’s decision,” Sarri assured.
“He was out for a long time with injury, and he’s worked really hard to get back to high levels. There’s the World Cup next year, it’s right that he has a period of rest.
“Of course, for a Pole, maybe there’s a bit of regret about not being able to play the European Championships on home soil.”