Antonio Conte is open to staying at Napoli, seeing out his initial three-year contract, rather than quickly jumping ship again, as he has done in almost all his previous spells. On the other hand, the coach and the club will have to get on the same page for the future.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Tuttomercatoweb), the Partenopei won’t spend as much as last summer, around €150M, but they aren’t cash-strapped either. On the other hand, they have already committed over €60M to buy out Rasmus Hojlund and Alisson Santos.
Conte will seek reassurances that Napoli will aim to compete at the highest level. The brass wants to rejuvenate the squad and reduce the payroll, but isn’t setting up a drastic overhaul that would inevitably dent their title hopes next year. The officials and the gaffer will look to find common ground between their two visions.
Per Corriere dello Sport, the manager appears ready to embrace the team’s philosophy, especially after a few younger players, Rasmus Hojlund, Alisson Santos, and Antonio Vergara, have shown up consistently. The front office wishes to continue on such a route. The key meeting will take place once the Azzurri have secured the qualification for the next UEFA Champions League.
It would be unlike them if there weren’t at least a bit of drama. They have a better pulse on the big picture than other sides and, despite their star-studded squad and coach, a repeat was always unlikely, given their history. The real disappointment was bowing out so early in the top continental competition. Their roster is already adequate if they retain most of their veterans. A few starlets will help them better navigate the injuries.
