Napoli bent on signing Adeyemi after snubbing over-priced Garnacho
Napoli has dropped their talks for Alejandro Garnacho, as Chelsea made an offer to Manchester United, so their focus is now firmly on Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund.
The Partenopei need to find a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was sold to Paris Saint-Germain for €70m plus bonuses in the January transfer window.
They had been in advanced negotiations with Manchester United for Garnacho but found the €70-80m asking price to be wholly unrealistic in the circumstances.
Multiple sources from England now report that Chelsea are prepared to meet that valuation, adding to Napoli’s decision to back away from the Argentina international.
Speaking at a book presentation on Thursday, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis was asked about Garnacho and replied “Who can guarantee me he’ll score 20 goals?”
Their focus is now firmly on Adeyemi, who Sky Sport Italia claims spoke directly with coach Antonio Conte to convince him of the move.
The asking price from Borussia Dortmund is closer to €45-50m, much more within the Napoli budget.
Adeyemi just turned 23 last week, can play on the left, right or as a centre-forward, and so far this season has contributed five goals and five assists in 13 competitive games.
Juventus had shown interest in Adeyemi last summer but failed to find common ground with the player, subsequently turning their attention to Nico Gonzalez. Now, the time seems ripe for Adeyemi to make his Serie A debut. The former Red Bull Salzburg star, who arrived in Dortmund coinciding with Erling Haaland’s move to Manchester City, has notched up 5 goals and 5 assists in 13 appearances across all competitions this season.
Borussia Dortmund is open to selling Adeyemi as early as January, and discussions with Napoli have already begun. While no formal agreements are in place yet, the Napoli-based club, which initially explored the possibility of signing Garnacho from Manchester United, is working on a deal in the region of 45 to 50 million euros.
