Badiashile and Okafor count against Manna, but losing Gila

Badiashile and Okafor count against Manna, but losing Gila does not

With Allegri already under fire, the sporting director is now in the dock as well. Two of his signings can fairly be held against him. The defender who never arrived from Lazio cannot: Manna had agreed terms with the player.

by Rosaria CimminoWednesday 4 November, 12:12 CET· yesterday

Badiashile e Okafor pesano su Manna, Gila no: l'accordo col giocatore c'era, si fermò sulle richieste della Lazio — Grafica Arena Napoli

When Allegri's side kick off at the Dragão at 21:00 CET (20:00 UK, 15:00 ET) on Wednesday 4 November, he will have three centre-backs available: Beukema, Rrahmani and Rafa Marín.

That alone explains why, after the 2-0 defeat in Turin, the criticism is no longer aimed only at the head coach but also at Giovanni Manna. The sporting director builds the squad, and the squad now has a defence that rests on three men.

Two signings that did not hold up

The first mistake has a name: Badiashile. Nobody doubts the Frenchman can play. The problem is the physical trouble he has carried for years.

Napoli signed him when Buongiorno was already injured and Beukema had missed pre-season. In a defence that was already depleted, the club bet on a player who offered no guarantees on his fitness. Badiashile is now out with a rectus femoris injury and is not expected back before December.

Buongiorno, who had surgery on his meniscus, is due back in January 2027. Marianucci will also miss Sunday's game against Lazio, suspended for one match after his red card at the Allianz Stadium.

The second mistake goes back further, to Conte's first season in charge. Okafor arrived to replace Kvaratskhelia, but the former Milan player was not in acceptable physical condition. Again, the issue was fitness.

The two cases are different, but they share the same flaw. Napoli bought players who could not give the team the continuity it needed.

Gila: the deal that stopped above Manna

Gila is another matter. Manna had reached an agreement with the centre-back, who would gladly have moved to Napoli. It was not the sporting director who ended the deal. It was the club, which refused to meet Lazio's asking price.

That detail changes the verdict. When an executive secures a player's yes and the deal still does not happen, the responsibility no longer lies only with the transfer work. It lies with whoever decides how much to spend.

This is where supporters start asking the awkward question. With two league titles in three seasons behind them, and a centre-back who wanted to come, was a defender really worth less than a bidding war? It is a fair question with only three centre-backs and no recognised full-back available at the Dragão.

None of this clears Manna. Badiashile and Okafor remain his responsibility. But when the accounts are drawn up, everyone should answer for the decisions they actually made.

What comes next

The season so far needs no long recap. Napoli are eighth with 14 points after 10 matches, nine behind the fourth place Allegri set as his target.

The transfer window reopens on 2 January 2027. Manna will have to show he has learned from his mistakes. The club will have to show that when its sporting director agrees a deal, it will not be the one to block it.

On Sunday 8 November at 12:30 CET (11:30 UK, 06:30 ET), Lazio come to the Maradona top of the table on 28 points. They are the club Napoli would not pay what they asked.