Two PL big clubs who could pounce on Napoli’s decision to sell Insigne

Back in March, Italian publication Calciomercato had claimed that Manchester City and Liverpool were interested in signing Napoli star Lorenzo Insigne.

Meanwhile, Napoli skipper Insigne joins the likes of defender Kalidou Koulibaly and veteran Dries Mertens, who have fallen out of favour with the club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, as claimed by Gazetta (h/t The Sun).

With the club currently going through one of its worst periods in recent times after being pushed to 7^th in the Serie A table, they are now 7 points short of the top-four.

This could see many seasoned campaigners including Insigne exit the club ahead of the summer transfer window as a part of major player overhaul set to happen within the side, the report added.

With such a situation prevailing in the background, it would indeed be a good chance for some Premier League clubs to reinstate their interests in the Italian winger and make good use of the available opportunity.

Meanwhile, City and Liverpool were said to have been impressed by the Napoli captain, who was bought by the Naples outfit back in 2006.

After making his Serie A debut with Napoli under then manager Walter Mazzari, the 28-year old forward has gone on to play a whopping 319 matches for them so far.

Since then, he has scored 81 goals and provided 72 assists for Napoli, which also included loan spells at lower outfits such as Cavese, Foggia and Serie B outfit Pescara.

A tactically versatile forward, there is no doubt regarding the Italian’s talent, who was the Serie A top scorer in the 2013-14 season. His 10 goals and 5 assists helped the Gli Azzurri finish second in the league last season.

Meanwhile, City and Liverpool are undoubtedly the top-two sides in the Premier League at the moment, with the former being the defending league champion and the latter being the European champion.

Both Liverpool and City have a squad filled with world-class talents. However, one-time Italian Cup and Italian Super Cup winner Insigne could be a worthy addition to both the English sides.

Insigne, who plays predominantly as a left-winger, could give healthy competition to City’s star man Raheem Sterling, who has been key to their consecutive title-winning campaigns under manager Pep Guardiola.

Moreover, with Sterling attracting interest from top clubs such as Real Madrid, the talented Insigne would be a good replacement for the Englishman in case he leaves.

Meanwhile, Reds coach Jurgen Klopp, who prefers a 4-3-3 formation, is an admirer of wide forwards and Insigne could easily fit into that role, having played in that position for both Napoli and Italy on numerous occasions.

Also, Liverpool have just one left-winger in Sadio Mane, who features in almost every game for them, be it the league or the Champions League.

The heavy workload could soon have an effect on the forward if he fails to remain fit. In such a case, Insigne could prove to be a worthy replacement for the Senegalese star.

Read more:

• Why City should simply splash the cash to seal Sterling’s future
• Why Liverpool should secure Fabinho’s future at Anfield
• Why Liverpool need to reignite their interests in Philipp Max

Verdict

Given Napoli’s recent unrest, both Liverpool and City must pounce on the opportunity to sign the player who is available for a transfer. Moreover, signing him would bolster their attacking options in the near future.