Napoli: Italy’s Best?

Written By David Ferrini

Never before have the Azzurri had so much depth

Following a clear out of Azzurri stars and the methodical replenishment of up-and-coming prodigies, the mood of the average Napoli fan has swung like a bipolar pendulum in recent months.

From losing Mertens and Insigne to then snaring some of the League’s best strikers in the final weeks of the transfer market, let’s dissect Luciano Spalletti’s options in the attacking half.
But with all of these unforeseen riches, can the Napoli manager exploit the full potential of his A-Team while maintaining a healthy aura of competitiveness with such an opulent bench?

Tactics

Spalletti’s preferred methodology in attack showcases three attacking midfielders in a 4–2–3–1 formation which feeds Victor Osimhen, or a 4–3–3 where the #10 becomes a mezzala.
Currently, Hirving Lozano has been preferred to Matteo Politano on the right while Piotr Zielinski is the logical choice centrally. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has easily beaten Alessio Zerbin to the left wing candidacy with brilliant performances against Hellas Verona and Monza.
But apart from Kvara, we haven’t even mentioned the four other attacking additions to the Napoli squad, some of which are tasked with making up for the losses of Lorenzo Insigne, Andrea Petagna and Dries Mertens.
Four, you say? Si, amici. Then there’s Adam Ounas too, plus Jack Raspadori joins from Sassuolo, Giovanni Simeone from Verona and Kvara from Dinamo Batumi.
And all of this for just €18.5M (at least in the short term). Bargain.
Notice that I’ve circled depth. In contrast to previous seasons — and until further notice — that’s precisely what Spalletti has for his new Napoli, a UEFA-Champions-League-Napoli.
Yes, it’s impossible to replace Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens. It was also impossible replacing Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik, Ezequel Lavezzi and Gonzalo Higuain but Napoli still soldiered on.
So here we are with Spalletti’s 4–2–3–1 lineup.
Considering the high turnover of senior players, astonishingly there are only two alterations to the Napoli lineup with Kvara and Kim Min-Jae slotting in nicely.
Here’s the Napoli 2nd XI (4–2–3–1).

Take into account that Adam Ounas, Diego Demme and Alessio Zerbin (an Italian international of 2022) are not even named in the 2nd XI, such is the depth at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at the moment.

Whether Napoli is hoarding players or not is another question. Maybe Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli has learned from previous seasons? Perhaps a luxurious surplus of players is a result of reduced expenditure?

Spalletti could still let go of one or two attacking options prior to the completion of the Summer transfer window. But who?

Depth DEPTH Depth

Impressively, Giuntoli has shaved the wage bill down by 25% this season from €60m+ to €45m.

To Napoli’s advantage, the fruits of the academy are ripening as Gianluca Gaetano and Alessio Zerbin return with 7 and 9 goals respectively in Serie B last term.

But the question remains as to which squad players, if any, get sent out on loan or sold.

Eljif Elmas is versatile and has become a part of the Napoli furniture — particularly as part of a beautifully crafted, robust bench — and has undeniably secured his position.

Adam Ounas is exciting, yet inconsistent. So unless Matteo Politano is sold, the Moroccan could find himself on the outer, especially if Spalletti opts to regularly deploy a 4–3–3.

In this alternative formation, Raspadori would be favourite to replace Kvara with Politano as first choice backup for Lozano while Zielinski would play deeper and/or wider in midfield.

However, if Spalletti goes for a Lobotka-Anguissa-Ndombele midfield trio in a 4–3–3 then Zielinski would be used off the bench along with Gaetano and Demme, further diminishing Ounas’ playing time with a mixed combination of Politano, Raspadori, Kvara, Zerbin, Elmas and Simeone all on the bench as well.

Ounas could be at the back of that conga line.

The Beautiful Monsters

Victor Osimhen is a beast and remains the focal point in attack, the acquisitions of Simeone and Raspadori offer potent striking alternatives and there’s 18-year-old striker Giuseppe Ambrosino from the Primavera.

Napoli tifosi have now been shown the full deck that Giuntoli was shielding throughout July and August.

Spalletti can also turn to a 4-4-2 if he chooses. Simeone and Osimhen would make a devastating combination. Chasing a game? Go gung-ho with a Raspa-Victor-Cholito strike force.

This has the makings of a Serie A Superhero series.

So again, who could leave?

Pending injuries, Elmas ranks higher than Ounas and Zerbin in the pecking order. The North Macedonian is a more important component in bridging gaps and his pressing game is second to none. Gianluca Gaetano is still unproven at Serie A level.

In order, these are the favourites to leave before September 1st:

  1. Adam Ounas. He’s no stranger to loan spells (Crotone, Cagliari, Nice) and would prefer to play at a smaller club as opposed to peeling arancie. Spalletti has also ensured that Ounas has played in both Serie A fixtures, possibly to attract suitors.

  2. Alessio Zerbin. Surplus to requirements at this stage and failed to take his opportunites against Hellas Verona. Unsure he’s ready at this level and again Spalletti has dangled the carrot to potential suitors with 10–15 minutes in each game.

  3. Gianluca Gaetano. Sometimes it’s all about timing and the ex-Cremonese star suffered a two-match suspension at a crucial point in the season, further restricting his chances.

  4. Matteo Politano. Initially wanted a move away. If a decent club comes in with an offer, there’s a small chance that former-Sassuolo man could leave.

  5. Hirving Lozano. Had been linked with a big money move to the Premier League.

  6. Piotr Zielinksi. Please see #5.

In conclusion, there are still a lot of moving parts to consider for Luciano Spalletti. Perhaps the Fabian Ruiz situation is clouding the skies over the Vesuvio as well.

One thing’s for sure. The Partenopei are brimming with quality and depth in the final third.

Sure, it’s going to take some tweaking to perfect Spalletti’s brew as the tactician attempts to cast an unanticipated spell upon his adversaries, but, thankfully, dogmatic and cynical Napoli fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

It’s now time for the pundits to swing from “Napoli will struggle to finish in the top half” to “Napoli is a dark horse for the Scudetto”.




David Ferrini
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