Napoli Gave Some Thought to Signing Neymar Last Summer | OneFootball

Napoli contemplated adding Neymar for a few months in the second half of last season. Then, in the thick of it, when they really started planning their transfer market moves after Antonio Conte confirmed he would stay, they didn’t pull the trigger. Kevin De Bruyne falling into their lap ended the interest in the Brazilian star, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.

President Aurelio De Laurentiis, director Giovanni Manna, and the coach discussed how to integrate the former Barcelona and PSG star tactically. In the end, they decided not to move forward, also because of his injury history.

The possible terms of the transfer of Neymar to Napoli are unknown. The forward left Al-Hilal to join Santos last January on a Bosman move. He has logged 6 goals and 3 assists in 21 appearances back in his home country, even though he’s been plagued by thigh problems.

The 32-year-old has been involved in some of the priciest deals in history. In 2014, he joined the Blaugrana for €88M. Then, he headed to France for €222M in 2017. The Saudi franchise acquired him for €90M in 2023, but he made just a handful of appearances, missing a lot of time due to an ACL tear. He has 128 caps and 79 goals with Brazil.

Our Take on Napoli and Neymar

The reservations were likely more injury-related and economical than tactical. He would have been an easier fit than De Bruyne. He would have simply played either on the left wing or as a no.10, with Scott McTominay adjusting accordingly, as he’s doing now. While De Laurentiis likes a coup de théâtre, it’s not hard to imagine why Conte would be skeptical about such a signing.