February 5th 2025.
Napoli's sporting director, Giovanni Manna, recently shared some insights into the club's efforts to secure Alejandro Garnacho's transfer from Manchester United during the January window. Manna revealed that negotiations fell through due to Garnacho's high salary demands, which did not align with the club's current structure.
The Serie A club was on the lookout for a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who left for Paris Saint-Germain in a €70 million deal last month. Napoli had their sights set on Garnacho and held extensive talks with United to secure his services. However, despite United lowering their asking price to €65 million, Napoli was unable to come to an agreement with the Premier League club.
Manna explained that the stumbling block was the Argentine's salary, which he wanted to be significantly higher than the club's average. Napoli prides itself on creating a competitive team and Manna felt it would not be fair to the other players if they were to bring in a young player with a higher salary. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a fair and balanced wage structure within the team.
The sporting director also revealed that Napoli was in the running to sign Patrick Dorgu, but United swooped in and secured a €35 million deal with Lecce in the final week of the January window. Manna admitted that Napoli was unable to compete with United's offer, which he believes was above market value.
He further explained that Napoli's approach is to sign strong and functional players, whether young or experienced. They have had success in the past with signings like Scott McTominay, and Manna admitted that if an opportunity like that were to present itself, they would not hesitate to take it. However, they do not believe in overspending on players with exorbitant salaries and commissions.
Manna cited examples of successful signings like Buongiorno, Gilmour, Spinazzola, McTominay, Neres, and Romelu, who were all acquired at the right market moment. He expressed his disappointment in not being able to secure Garnacho's transfer, but stressed that the team has made few mistakes in the past and is currently performing well.
He also urged the team to stay focused on their objective of qualifying for the Champions League, rather than getting carried away with big-name signings. Manna believes that the team's success is a result of their hard work and dedication since July. While he is not happy with the outcome, he remains optimistic about the future and the upcoming transfer window.
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