Napoli eye Belgium’s Kevin Rodriguez, international race heats up | OneFootball

The transfer market is ready to heat up and, despite the constraints of a session that for Napoli will necessarily have to respect the “zero balance” dogma, sporting director Giovanni Manna’s radar never stops scanning Europe. The latest idea to strengthen the attacking department, whether for January or for June, leads straight to Belgium, more precisely to Union Saint-Gilloise. The name on the notepad is Kevin Rodriguez. According to reports from Ecuadorian media and confirmed by international market expert Ekrem Konur, the Neapolitan club has set its sights on the striker born in 2000. However, it’s not a one-horse race: Rodriguez’s performances have attracted the attention of half of Europe and beyond.

Napoli, Kevin Rodriguez emerges: fierce competition and budget constraints on Manna’s table

​​Born in Ibarra and now a mainstay of the Ecuadorian national team, Rodriguez represents the prototype of the modern striker so beloved by contemporary coaches. The numbers at the start of this season—already 9 goals to his name—tell only part of the story. Despite having an imposing physical structure, “La Rola” (as he is nicknamed) is anything but a static penalty-area center-forward. Scout reports describe a player who is explosive, fast, and aggressive, capable of attacking the depth with ferocity and holding his own in physical duels. A combination of power and technique on the ball makes him, on paper, an intriguing tactical alternative in Antonio Conte’s lineup, ideal for attacking spaces when opposing defenses close up. ​ ​If the technical profile is convincing, the main obstacle is the competition. A real international bidding war is erupting over Rodriguez. In Serie A, Napoli will have to watch out for Torino and Fiorentina, both in search of fresh goals. But the danger also comes from abroad: Porto, always attentive to South American talents, is lurking, while from South America, the siren calls of Boca Juniors and River Plate could tempt the player with the allure of history.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.