Between the lines of Conte’s words is a doubt as big as a farewell. But in Naples there are those who try to retain him with a different idea. And a Ukrainian talent that can change everything
Napoli, Sudakov per trattenere Conte: chi gli fa posto e perché è così importante (Foto: Ansa) – serieanews.com
There are words that seem like simple post-game outbursts, spoken perhaps with a thread of weariness or bitterness from a season that has not delivered on its promises. Then there are words that weigh, like stones. Those that Antonio Conte uttered after Monza-Napoli belong to this second category.
His look was serious, as always, but this time it was more so. He hinted that staying in Naples, as it is now, makes little sense. One sentence after another, it became clear that his stay is by no means a foregone conclusion. On the contrary. Conte needs to see that the project is not standing still, that something is being built. Otherwise, the deal with Napoli is in real danger of blowing up.
Of course, first there will be talking, clarifying goals and visions. But between now and the end of the season everything will be decided. In the meantime, it all comes down to the will of Aurelio De Laurentiis, who may not agree to breaking the existing three-year contract early, but more importantly, he is preparing a countermove that speaks a language Conte knows very well: the market.
Amid the many rumors crowding the Neapolitan summer, one seems more concrete than the others. It comes from far away, from Ukraine, and has the face of a 2002 boy who has long been on the Salento coach’s radar. Georgiy Sudakov, a Shakhtar Donetsk trequartista, is one of those profiles that Conte follows with the eye of the true admirer, not the merely curious.
Sudakov al Napoli: chi è e dove lo immagina Conte
This is not breaking news. Already last summer, and then again in January, Napoli tried to bring him home. Now, perhaps, the right time has come. The CEO of Shakhtar has spoken clearly: there are ongoing negotiations with a major club.
Sudakov al Napoli: chi è e dove lo immagina Conte (AnsaFoto) – serieanews.com
Apparently, that club is Naples itself. And the price is high: there is talk of around 40 million. A figure that, if confirmed, would say it all: Sudakov is not a side shot, he is a strategic investment. A central piece in the construction of the new Napoli.
Now, those who know Conte know that the tactical idea is never rigid. It is no longer time for eleven fixed starters like this year or for modules carved in stone. The Napoli to come will have to know how to adapt, change skin, switch from a 3-man defense to a 4-man line with ease, change attitude even during the game. Versatility is needed, but above all, quality. And there, at the moment, Napoli is a little short.
Lobotka is neat, doing his thing. Anguissa and McTominay bring run and muscle. But who turns on the light? Who gives unpredictability? Since Zielinski left and then also Kvaratskhelia, that area of the field seems a bit too discolored. And that is precisely where Sudakov could become crucial.
Raspadori il sacrificato: piace a mezza Serie A
Conte envisions Sudakov as an upgrade of Raspadori: more refined, more vertical, more continuous. In a 3-4-2-1 he can move behind the point, spread out when needed, enter the game with more freedom. But to accommodate him, someone will have to take a step back.
Raspadori il sacrificato: piace a mezza Serie A (AnsaFoto) – serieanews.com
The name circulating is indeed that of Giacomo Raspadori. He has given a lot, often being ready in complicated moments. But the feeling is that in a more structured Napoli, with certain technical hierarchies, his space would shrink even more. And if the feeling becomes reality, it is natural to think that he might ask for a transfer.
Napoli values him between 25 and 30 million, and half of Serie A would take him tomorrow morning. It would be a farewell with honor, also useful to finance part of the Sudakov operation. A sort of relay, with the past saying goodbye and the future knocking at the door. Conte, meanwhile, is waiting for answers. Not in words, but in deeds. And Sudakov could be the first.
This article Napoli, Sudakov to retain Conte: who makes room for him and why he is so important appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
