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Napoli have reportedly made their first steps towards signing Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United this January with the sale of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia seemingly imminent.
Garnacho is the target of Serie A interest with the transfer window open, this coming after the Argentine has found himself on the periphery of Ruben Amorim’s plans. Rumours last week suggested he is not exempt from sale as he was last summer, owing to the fact Man United are battling tight Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) restrictions whilst needing money to fund a rebuild of the squad.
According to The Independent, Italian giants Napoli want to press ahead with Garnacho’s move this winter and have given the green light on the move – with Old Trafford chiefs open to doing business.
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In recent days the landscape has changed drastically with Kvicha Kvaratskhelia first handing Napoli a transfer request. A deal worth up to €80m (£67.5m) in total has reportedly been agreed with Paris Saint-Germain and the Georgian is expected to finalise his move shortly.
Therefore seeking a replacement, Antonio Conte’s ideal target is claimed to be Garnacho, who is in turn said to be open to making the move. It comes after the Manchester Evening News reported the ‘untouchable’ status Garnacho had previously had at Old Trafford has now been revoked, as it has for his teammates Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana.
It has been reported that United have set an asking price of around £70m – the same mark that Kvaratskhelia is close to moving for. United signed Garnacho for a mere £420,000 from Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid in 2021 and a sale around £70m would go a long way to tackling any PSR troubles.
Previous reports suggest, though, that officials at the Italian club could end up butting heads with Man United over their asking price. The Partenopei could only be willing to pay €50m (£42m), and the difference could end up the defining factor between sealing the transfer or not.