On Saturday, Napoli secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Fiorentina to close the Girone di Andata. With Atalanta and Inter in Riyadh for the Supercoppa Italiana, Gli Azzurri moved clear of their Northern rivals at the top of the table.
Antonio Conte has rapidly turned things around for Napoli, who were 20 points from the top of the table at this point last season, and the prospect of a fourth Scudetto might have changed the club’s approach to the January transfer market. Conte is keen to improve his squad’s depth, seeking replacements for Michael Folorunsho and Alessio Zerbin, who are on the verge of joining Fiorentina and Venezia, respectively. Meanwhile, certain players have been removed from the market, like Giacomo Raspadori, after the struggling forward scored the only goal in Napoli’s victory over Venezia.
Another player who could be removed from the market is Juan Jesus. Currently linked to Venezia, rumours of the Brazilian’s exit from Napoli ramped up when marquee summer signing Alessandro Buongiorno suffered a back injury during training in mid-December. Since then, the Azzurri have won three consecutive matches with Jesus deputizing for Buongiorno, conceding only one goal in the process. The victories against Genoa and Venezia were expected, but the match against Fiorentina was a big test for Jesus and Napoli alike. Having recorded their 11th clean sheet of the campaign, Napoli passed the test with flying colours. The performance of Jesus was praised by the Italian press, as evidenced by their player ratings:
- Gazzetta dello Sport: 6.5
- Corriere dello Sport: 7
- TuttoSport: 7
- La Republica: 6.5
- Il Mattino: 6.5
Prior to the Fiorentina match, Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Buongiorno had returned to Castel Volturno and was 20-25 days away from a return. With his recovery less than a month away, and Jesus playing well, it is unlikely (and perhaps unnecessary) that Napoli will make a January investment in another centre back.
Even if they did, it would take weeks for the new signing to learn Conte’s system and reach the level of physical fitness required to play in it. By then, Buongiorno would be very close to making his return. For reference, Romelu Lukaku joined Napoli on the 29th of August and did not make his full debut until the 15th of September (or two-and-a-half weeks later). Likewise, Scott McTominay signed with Napoli on the 30th of August and did not make his full debut until the 21st of September (or three weeks later).
A potential replacement for Jesus, should Napoli find a buyer for the Brazilian, is his countryman Danilo. The former Juventus captain was left out of the squad that travelled to Riyadh and is believed to have played his final match for the Old Lady. However, according to transfer expert Nico Schira, the Bianconeri expect a transfer fee of €2-3 million for the defender. Though he’s been very accommodating of Conte’s demands, Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is not likely to pay such a sum for a player he could sign for free in six months.
Meanwhile, Danilo is reportedly trying to find a creative solution to free himself sooner. If he fails, Jesus will remain a Napoli player until the end of the season.
