Yahoo Sports Napoli Might Be Ready to Sell Barcelona-Linked Star
Stanislav Lobotka was at the top of his game in Sunday’s clash with Roma, as he has completely overcome a recent thigh injury. The Napoli stalwart has routinely been on the radar of foreign powerhouses, especially Barcelona, but the Azzurri always refused to consider his sale.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, that may change next summer. The Partenopei could see it as the last opportunity to cash in on him fully considering he just turned 30. They value him €30/40M and would seize the chance to get younger. They signed Billy Gilmour last summer and are eyeing Ajax’s Kenneth Taylor for the future.
Manchester City and Bayern Munich also kicked the tires on Lobotka in the recent past but were rebuffed. Barcelona haven’t ceased being interested under Hansi Flick and could make another attempt if they had some exits at the position. On the other hand, he’s under contract with Napoli until 2027 with a team option.
His agent Branislav Jarusek weighed in during the summer.
“Staying put is the most probable option. The team won’t sell one of his best players for a low figure. Various coaches searched for him. I’m still in touch with some of them, but it’s up to the management.”
Our Take on Lobotka
It could make some sense financially but not technically, as he’s still going strong, and his absence was very noticeable in previous fixtures. Players in that role tend to age like fine wine, and he has shown no signs of decline. Plus, his camp doesn’t have a ton of leverage given the length of his deal. Despite his quality, getting that much for him is a pipe dream.
