He’s mister sun. He’s too much. He’s Marek Hamsyk

By: Joe | June 25th, 2007

Napoli look set to sign 19-year old Marek Hamsyk from Brescia. Given the Lupoli calamity earlier this season, Pier Paulo Marino and the rest of the Napoli staff have kept fairly mum about the potential signing. However, that hasn’t stopped Brescia chairman Gino ‘don’t call me “Don”‘ Corioni from providing fodder for the press.

There were rumours Marino had targeted Hamsyk in the winter break and previous interest from Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Celtic speak volumes for his potential. Marino and Corioni will reportedly meet to finalize the deal on Wednesday. Reports indicate Napoli initially offered 5 million euros and Fabio Gatti and Nicolas Amodio. Brescia has asked for 8 million. Apparently, Corioni isn’t interested in Amodio but wants Gatti. I get that Fabio improved his game and he’s the little engine that could and a role model to midget defensive midfielders throughout Italy. That’s all very nice indeed. I’m sure he loves his Nonna too, but Gatti over Amodio? Really?

Corioni is fielding offers from a few different squads including Shakhtar Donetsk who have reportedly offered 6 million euro but Napoli is poised to raise the ante. We shall see. For what it’s worth, Corioni says if he has to sell Hamsyk, which it looks like he does, he’d rather sell to Napoli because he admires De Laurentis and has a relationship with Marino.

Marek Hamsik Should've practiced my free kicks more instead of playing with Mercury Hamsyk is an extraordinary player. He is a definite dead ringer for the Heat Miser and has to use some different product for that hair and get some braces for the overbite. However, this is a 19-year old kid (turns 20 this summer) who just scored his second cap for Slovakia and played 90 minutes against Germany in a Euro qualifier. Coming off the heels of a fantastic season where he played in 40 (40?!?) matches for Brescia, scored 10 goals as a midfielder, took an extraordinary number of free kicks and corners and always looked on the brink of scoring. These are exciting times, this guy is an exciting player.

* It appears potential Juve interest was the reason behind the delay in announcing the Bianchi signing. However, now that Juventus have renewed with David Trezeguet for four years, any chance of Juve adding Bianchi appeato be gone. What? Juve don’t want to have 17 strikers on their roster like Inter? Hopefully, this thing will get done soon here.

* On August 8, Napoli will host Inter Milan and Juventus for the Trofea Birra Moretti. It’s a nice pre-season exhibition and will be our first view of the new Serie A Napoli unis.

* Napoli will train in Austria from July 18 to August 3. Last year they had a few exhibition games including one with Palermo. For me, the fact that they kept up with Palermo in that match signaled the squad had some promise. They wound up losing 4-2 but gave the rosanero all they could handle for awhile.

* Juve bought out the rights to Nocerino from Piacenza and they will almost surely either loan him out or sell him outright. I don’t think they’d sell him but I have nothing to base that decision than common sense. He’s 21 with a good deal of professional and international experience with the Azzurini. Napoli look ready to offer 5 million euro for Nocerino. Something tells me this is the longest of long shots, but I like going after young players as opposed to 30+ players who won’t fit into any kind of long term plan.

Update: Napoli signed Marek Hamsyk on June 28 to a contract which will keep the Slovakian at the San Paolo until 2012.