Football Season Guide

With the arrival of coach Luciano Spalletti, last season Napoli looked capable of fighting for the Scudetto. They started the campaign at full speed and until early-December they were topping the Serie A. Then, a few stuttering performances saw them losing ground from the two sides from Milan and finishing 3rd, 7 points away from the eventual leaders. However, they have the best defence of the league, with only 31 goals conceded, like Milan. With Spalletti confirmed in charge of the team, the summer saw Napoli undergoing major changes. First of all, they let go of several protagonists of their recent past: they parted ways with creative genius Insigne, 16 years at the club between the junior and the senior teams, and then it was also goalie Ospina’s turn to quit, after his best season at the club. Centre-back Koulibaly, arguably one the best Serie A defender, was then let go to Chelsea for a lot of money. Last but not least, Mertens, Napoli's best scorer ever, was not offered a deal extension and subsequently released. With Ospina gone, Meret is at last expected to become the number 1 in goal, but he might be on the departure list too, which would leave them in big trouble ahead of the league kickoff. South Korean centre-back Kim arrived from Fenerbahce and he is set to replace Koulibaly in the heart of the defence. Ostigard, promising at Genoa last season, should represent his alternative. Olivera, on the other hand, should become the starter at left-back, with erratic Mario Rui making a step back to the bench. While they succeeded signing permanently holding midfielder Anguissa, who did well when not injured, 21-year-old Kvaratskhelia arrived from Georgia to replace Insigne in the heart of the supporters. The fact that Napoli are still on the hunt for a goalkeeper, a solid centre-back, a winger and a back-up striker for Osimhen means that the new arrivals are not deemed ready for the Serie A, after all.