Brighton and Bournemouth ‘to pounce’ as Mario Gila’s Napoli move stalls | OneFootball

Napoli's pursuit of Lazio centre-back Mario Gila has stalled, potentially opening the door for Brighton and Bournemouth.

According to Il Messaggero and Il Corriere dello Sport, talks between the clubs are stuck after Napoli's €15 million offer fell well short of Lazio's €30 million valuation, with Real Madrid due a 50% sell-on on Lazio's profit. Il Messaggero says Bournemouth are interested, while Il Corriere names Brighton as the Premier League club most keen. Both outlets add that a mooted part-exchange involving Sam Beukema is unlikely to tempt Lazio.

It was reported earlier this week that Napoli had reached an agreement with Gila's agent, Alejandro Camano, worth over €3 million a year, trebling his current €1 million salary. An accord with Lazio president Claudio Lotito remains the main hurdle.

The Azzurri therefore risk missing out on their top target if the impasse continues.

Gila, 25, joined Lazio from Real Madrid in summer 2022. After a slow start in Rome, he has since established himself as one of the finest centre-backs in Serie A. With Lazio missing European football in back-to-back seasons, the Spaniard is exploring his options.

Source: The Laziali