Napoli Transfer Market: Montervino Confident About Last-Minute Deals

Former Napoli captain Francesco Montervino shared his insights on various topics with Radio Tutto Napoli, addressing the stagnant transfer market, the Champions League draw, and the upcoming match against Como. Montervino, a guest on the all-Napoli radio station, spoke about his expectations for the team.

Transfer Market Stalls and Fan Concerns?

"I don't believe the market is completely stalled," Montervino stated. "I think something will definitely happen in the last couple of days, even in Napoli's favor. To be honest, this year's market has struggled to get going generally, and consequently, Napoli, who needed to offload surplus players first, has experienced a more stagnant period. However, Napoli remains a strong team, one that finished second last year. I see the arrival of a couple of players, Badiashile and Favasuli, who can certainly help strengthen the squad. But I believe one, if not two, significant moves could occur in the final days."

Napoli's Champions League Draw: Last Year's Performance Was Insufficient.

"You've been kind; last year's Champions League campaign was actually poor," Montervino admitted. "Napoli was superior to at least 5-6 teams in their path but ultimately failed to qualify. Those are different games, where anything can happen, and even the underdog can win. European matches have technical and tactical rules that differ significantly from Italian ones. Therefore, the group is quite complex and challenging. However, qualification is within reach, and I say yes because Napoli has the capability, just as they can face opponents who can compete with anyone, Napoli can also play against anyone, including City and Arsenal. Clearly, the level is different compared to those two teams, but it's more attainable against the others. Still, it's a fairly complicated group."

Como is Coming Up, What Kind of Match Should We Expect? Will Allegri Make Changes?

"Como is a team that dominates possession and likes to control the game," Montervino explained. "As I mentioned, they like to dominate. So, if you want to dominate a game, you need to have possession and counter them blow for blow with possession play. These are not the qualities I believe Napoli currently possesses under Allegri. Therefore, the possibility of them playing like they did in the first 45 minutes against Genoa is, in my opinion, very plausible. Although, I must say, Napoli's quality is so high that if they want to, they can be more defensively aware. They can also counter-attack and be much more dangerous than they were in the first half against Genoa. It will be an interesting match, featuring two important teams who are both in the Champions League. This is already an important first test for Napoli, so I'm genuinely curious. I'll be at the stadium, and I'm eager to see how everyone moves on the field live."

Regarding Anguissa's Contract Renewal, How Do You Approach a Season with an Expiring Contract?

"This is a problem we only have in Italy," Montervino stated. "In all other countries, a player with an expiring contract plays, remains a professional, and plays until the end. The team and the club, with the coach, use them as long as they can. So, it's a false problem. If Anguissa receives a viable offer during the year, he will consider it, and he will probably renew. Otherwise, their paths will diverge. But again, this is an issue that is now unique to Italy."