Matteo Politano seems to be on his way out of Napoli this summer, with links to Valencia, and a recent interview has earned him a fine.
The 28-year-old Italian winger struggled to make a strong impression under Luciano Spalletti this season, only scoring three goals and providing four assists in 33 Serie A appearances. He only started 20 of those matches, often finding himself relegated to the bench. A departure has been on the horizon for a while and now things are starting to heat up.
La Repubblica details how Gennaro Gattuso’s Valencia are keen to pick up Politano this summer and they’re currently in talks with Napoli. The formula seems set to be a loan deal with an obligation to buy clause attached, but no fee has been agreed yet.
Speaking to SportItalia, Politano discussed his future and dropped a hint suggesting that a move to Valencia was on the cards.
“Now I’m thinking about my holiday, then I’ll talk to my agent and the club and we’ll decide together what needs to be done. I’ll go back to Napoli and we’ll see. The Valencian Paella? I like it a lot.”
These comments did not impress Napoli, who did not authorise the interview, and so Politano will receive a fine, in line with the club’s internal rules.
KKN- Politano multato dal Napoli, intervista a Formentera non autorizzata https://t.co/7Huk0gDnoM
— Mundo Napoli Sport24 (@MundoNapoli) June 20, 2022
Napoli, Valencia su Politano: i dettagli dell'affare: L'ultima stagione per Politano non è stata ricchissima di soddisfazioni. Il finale di campionato lo ha vissuto più fuori che… https://t.co/Z9fCuWm0Y8 pic.twitter.com/LJshcwRX4j
— sportlive (@sportli26181512) June 20, 2022
Nice freedom of speech over there…
Zambrotta, did you not read the part where it was a breach of the club’s internal rules?
That’s not a freedom of speech issue. He’s signed a contract.
Let’s be honest, he was poor last season. Not deserving of a start and when they came he was average. Perhaps it’s the style under Spaletti as Lozano and Insigne were equally ineffective, but he did nothing to earn a right to start.
If he doesn’t fancy the Champions League then best of luck in the bottom echelons of La Liga.