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| Oriol Romeu of Southampton celebrates with teammates Mohammed Salisu (L) and Jan Bednarek (R) after scoring their team's second goal during the Premier League match between Southampton and Norwich City at St Mary's Stadium on February 25, 2022 in Southampton, England. |
Napoli are in the market for new defenders as they are unlikely to keep Axel Tuanzebe, and they have set their sights toward Southampton. The Partenopei are gearing up for a busy summer where they will bid farewell to multiple staples. They are looking to bring in fairly young players that could grow in the next few years.
In particular, the Partenopei have commenced eyeing Jan Bednarek and Mohammed Salisu, Corriere dello Sport informs. The budget to shore up the backline will hinge on what will happen with Kalidou Koulibaly. The Azzurri wish to keep him, but Barcelona will continue to be a threat throughout the summer, Fichajes.com informs.
In any case, Napoli will add one or two defenders in the next window, and they are intrigued by the Southampton duo. Bednarek is 26 and has been playing for the Saints since 2017, collecting 141 appearances. He also has 37 caps with Poland and therefore possesses a great deal of international experience. Salisu will turn 23 in April and moved to the Premier League from Valladolid in a €12M transfer two years ago. He has starred in 42 matches in the last 2 seasons.
Napoli are keener on Salisu, although his price tag figures to be significantly more expensive. Newcastle chased after him in January. The Partenopei will have to make the call on their option to extend Juan Jesus’ contract. Like the veteran currently on the squad, the Ghanaian stopper can also feature as a left-back, which makes him a highly appealing target.
