They’re making a list and checking it twice (forwards)

By: Joe | June 15th, 2007

After Napoli partied like it was 1987, Coach Edy Reja and Direttore Generale Pier Paulo Marino got together to hammer out the plans for next season. Marino and Reja are looking to add five or six new players with the anticipated 30 million euro budget. Help is being targeted to acquire two defenders, two midfielders, one or two forwards and a player capable of playing the flanks (perhaps someone who can switch between a fullback and a wide midfielder – the role Mirko Savini served this past season). They’ll employ a “pigs at the trough” theory where for every new player that comes on board, someone will have to go.

Any potential target list is likely to change daily as the soap opera of the calciomercato season moves along. However, that can’t stop us from eagerly following every scrap of transfer gossip that comes across. If 10% of what is talked about through blogs, radio/TV and other outlets actually has some validity, I’d be shocked. Given that De Laurentis has said Napoli has their “list in hand and mouth shut,” all we can do is speculate. What follows are some of the more intriguing moves I feel may help out our squad.

Gli attaccanti

Javier Saviola – How do you not start with this guy? It says a lot for Napoli that players of this calibre are even mentioned in the same breath with the team. While he’s been overshadowed as of late by Lionel Messi how do you not drool after the 25-year Argentinian wonder kid from Buenos Aries. The comparisons with Maradona are inevitable. They’re both undersized forwards, have starred for Argentina on the senior and junior levels and they both had a falling out with Barcelona. (Ok, so Saviola started his career with River Plate and Maradona starred with Boca Juniors but you know, you can’t have everything.)

Is it time for a new Argentinian legend at Napoli? “The Rabbit” started out with River Plate when he was 16 and was snapped up by Barcelona in 2001. After loan spells to AS Monaco and Sevilla, Saviola returned to the Catalans this season and, at times, showed the brilliance for which he’s capable. Despite scoring eight goals in six consecutive games, Saviola was benched in favor of Samuel Eto’o when he returned from injury. The benching has frustrated Saviola to the point where he now feels it’s time to look for a new home. He was quoted as saying “Barcelona are no longer my first choice and my relationship with the club has changed.” His deft touch and ball striking talents would have a great impact on Serie A and our beloved Napoli. Somebody fix this boy a plate of sassicce e friarielli and make him feel at home.

Diego Milito - Milito is another undersized Argentinian (outside of Hernan Crespo are there any who aren’t?) forward who’s been linked with Napoli. Milito may actually be a more realistic pickup given that he’s 28 and has already made it known he’d come to Napoli without batting an eye. While he isn’t as flashy as Saviola, there’s no denying Milito has the skill to excel at any level. Despite his stature (5′8″), Milito is an excellent header and has lit it up for Real Zaragosa for the past three years, including a whopping 22 times this year for the Spanish side. Milito has experience in Italy as he played for Genoa before moving to Spain. He’s often compared to Gabriel Batitusta and it’s valid. Both forwards simply found a way to put the ball in the back of net and weren’t necessary tremendous ball strikers.

Mauro Esposito – Rounding out the midget attackers (5′6″) is the Napoletano Cagliari striker. A series of knee injuries have tarnished the memory of the longtime Cagliari hitman. If he’s healthy he could present a valuable and cheap addition to play up front with Calaio. Rumors are that Napoli and Esposito have already come to an agreement and that Marino will contact Cellino (Cagliari president) in the next couple of days to ensure that there will be no resistance from Cagliari.

Igor Budan - The 27-year old 6 foot Croatian striker may be on the move. Why this guy hasn’t gotten a run with the Croatian national team I’ll never know (1 cap). I’ve seen him at Parma this year and even before Guiseppe Rossi got there, Budan was a force. He’s strong, doesn’t panic in the box and feeds his teammates well. He’s been all over Italy so he has as much, if not more, experience than many of the current Napoli players.

I’ll see what I can dig up about midfielders we’re targeting next. The names I’ve heard are Francesco Lodi (Frosinone), Adrian Ricchiuti (Rimini) and Uruguyan Walter Gargano. More to follow…