Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis will postpone a planned meeting with manager Antonio Conte until the club secures Champions League qualification, according to reports in Italy. Napoli must earn three points from their remaining two Serie A matches against Pisa and Udinese to guarantee a place in next season’s competition.
De Laurentiis is reportedly unhappy with the team’s performance this season, currently 15 points off the league summit despite a significant investment of €230 million in the last transfer window. This investment increased the club’s wage bill by 31%, from €83.4 million to €109 million. The club now faces the prospect of drastically reducing expenses and undertaking a major squad overhaul.
The president will seek explanations for the team’s overall performance and the failings of the recent transfer business. Several high-profile signings have underperformed, with Sam Beukema, who cost €31 million, starting only 24 of 45 available matches. Noa Lang, Lorenzo Lucca, and Luca Marianucci, costing a combined €70 million, were all loaned out in January. January signing Giovane has started only three matches – against Milan, Bologna, and Como in the Coppa Italia.
The only new arrival to feature regularly has been Rasmus Hojlund, playing 91% of available minutes, though even he has suffered from a lack of support in attack, failing to register a shot on target in his last six appearances. Napoli’s current points total of 51 is the second-lowest recorded by a reigning Serie A champion in the last 21 years, surpassed only by AC Milan’s 64 points in the 2021-22 season.
The club has also recorded 43 injuries this season, 34 of which were muscular. As many as 20 players currently out on loan could return at the end of the season, with only Zerbin’s move to Cremonese containing a conditional obligation to buy. Over the past two years, Napoli has invested €389.5 million in players (potentially rising to €421.5 million including potential buybacks) and received €225 million in sales, resulting in a net spend of €164.5 million. Napoli resumed training yesterday, with De Bruyne’s availability in doubt due to a facial injury, while Neres remains sidelined with an ankle problem and Lukaku has returned to Belgium to continue his rehabilitation in agreement with both Napoli and the Belgian FA.
