TMW
In recent days, Napoli has asked for information on Joshua Zirkzee, the Manchester United striker who is also being pursued by Juventus. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s departure will give the Azzurri the opportunity to sign another young player who can be enhanced by Antonio Conte. If Alejandro Garnacho is a sensitive target – and confirmations are pouring in from many quarters – De Laurentiis has thought about the Dutchman again for simple reasons: he can be a number nine but also a number ten, playing both alone and as a backup, possibly as a Lukaku and Giovanni Simeone. At that point we would need to understand the position of Giacomo Raspadori who, yesterday, entered the field again as a midfielder against Hellas Verona.
It’s not a simple situation, because Manchester United are not open to loans. As with Juventus, who wanted Zirkzee only with a right of redemption, the possible outlay would be significant. Because the Red Devils spent 40 million plus commissions to take him from Bologna and they don’t intend to lose too much. Therefore the valuation remains high, as does the salary: 5 million euros per year which, at Napoli, only Lukaku gets (6) while the others are all below. It is true that Zirkzee would be the center forward, therefore paid more than the others, but it is a significant obstacle.
Background: in March there was a fact-finding contact to understand the margins of the negotiation. When asked for salary, Napoli decided to retreat, probably waiting to understand who the next coach would be. The Lukaku negotiation then took off with Conte.