Some football fans may be forgiven for thinking that Napoli will feel devastated by the loss of two of its most influential players in recent years, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens. However, fans of Napoli are coming into the season with high hopes and will not be dwelling on these losses and instead focusing on the upcoming season.
With 148 Napoli goals to his name it is safe to say Belgium forward Dries Mertens could be described as a Napoli hero. After joining in 2013 the striker notched up an impressive 295 appearances for Napoli and played his role expertly under each manager with his best football coming under the quiet Maurizio Sarri from 2015-2017. Coming into replace this longevity is young italian forward Giacomo Raspadori from Saussuolo on loan with a 25 million euros option to buy. A versatile forward who burst onto the scene last season with an impressive 10 Serie A goals (Nearly matching Mertens total of 11 last season), it is believed he will form a strike partnership with the ever improving Victor Oshimen. He will offer guile and intensity to the Napoli attack that Mertens provided. Also coming to provide backup will be Hellas Verona striker Giovanni Simeone (Son of Diego) on loan who is more of a poacher type striker who does his best work in the box. This should provide a positive contrast to the Napoli squad which is required over the course of a season. Question marks still hang over Simeone’s head though and if he can provide for a top club in Napoli or fail at the task like Andrea Petagne. The Napoli striking department does though now look like one of the most dangerous in Serie A.
Napoli not only lost they're all time top goalscorer but also their captain in Lorenzo Insigne. Insigne’s move to MLS outfit Toronto FC came as a huge surprise to fans of the Partenopei as this was an Italian team starter moving away from Europe only at the age of 31. A hero to many Naploi fans and a consistent goal scorer and creator with 11 goals last term his boots will be difficult to fill. If the start of the season is anything to go by though his presence is yet to be felt. This is due to the arrival of Georgian sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for 9 million euros from Georgian outfit Dinamo Batumi. After 5 games the winger has notched up 4 goals and 1 assist and has been Napolis best player of the season so far. The winger has pace,skill and awareness in abundance and can skip past his opponents with ease as seen in a recent 2-1 away victory against Lazio. Napoli fans are already calling him the Georgian Maradona and can you blame them? Just watch a Napoli game and see for yourself.
With the controversial club president Aurelio De Laurentis still at the helm the start of the season could have looked bleak, with arguably the clubs two most important players of the decade leaving but the opposite has occurred. 3 talents have been brought in at low expense and the start of the season has shown they are more than capable of performing for such a great club. Napoli fans will be dreaming of silverware to come this season after falling just short last season. Meanwhile it is telling that Insigne and Mertens could only get moves to Toronto FC and Galatasaray respectively instead of a stay at the top of world football. Will either player ever represent their country again?
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