Napoli manager Antonio Conte is determined to sign an attacking player from Manchester United, regardless of the cost.
How big an upheaval Ruben Amorim can make in the Manchester United squad this summer depends on two things: winning the Europa League and securing lucrative player sales.
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A win in the Europa League would give United direct qualification for next year’s Champions League – bringing in at least £85 million in additional revenue, and potentially up to £100 million.
Player sales will not only free up large salary expenses, but also increase the club’s financial leeway. And if United choose to sell homegrown stars – where the revenue is recorded as “pure profit” – their purchasing power will increase considerably.
Marcus Rashford is a player who fits into this category and could be sold permanently to Aston Villa. His loan deal with Villa includes a purchase option worth £40 million.
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Another attacking player who could be on his way out is Alejandro Garnacho. According to the latest news from Calciomercato, he is Antonio Conte’s top transfer target this summer.
But Napoli are not alone, the field is filling up: “Chelsea, Atlético Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen could all rival Napoli for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho this summer,” reports TeamTalk. The Old Trafford hierarchy is willing to let the 20-year-old Argentine international leave if they receive a transfer fee of €70 million, although it remains to be seen whether any clubs are willing to bid that high.
The Italian manager made a bid of €50 million for Garnacho in January. Napoli had just sold Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to PSG and were seeking an immediate replacement.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid also showed interest in the Argentine international, but Napoli were the only ones to make a concrete offer. Manchester United made the last offer, when £42 million was far below the club’s £70 million valuation.
But according to Calciomercato, Napoli are not willing to accept a no this summer. Instead of Garnacho, they brought in Noah Okafor on loan from AC Milan – a transfer that has proven to be a “flop”, according to the report.
Conte will now put pressure on Napoli’s decision-makers to secure Garnacho:
“Now the time is ripe and the Azzurri manager (Conte) expects to have him (Garnacho) available for next season – whatever the cost.”
