Monza say they expect to keep Varela for the whole season

Monza have had calls about Gustavo Varela but say there are no negotiations. Chief executive Mauro Baldissoni confirmed "some approaches" had reached the player through his agent and that "we have received something too". Then he played it down: "We are a long way from talking about negotiations, it is all very premature. We know he is wanted by clubs with higher ambitions than Monza's; we expect to have him with us for the whole season." In the same breath he also let slip: "I don't know how long we will manage to keep him."

Napoli clearly need a striker. Lucca has yet to score and looks set to leave, and Højlund has 3 goals in 13 appearances. Baldissoni himself raised the doubt: "Every time you take a step up, you need time to adapt." We wonder whether it is fair to ask a player born in 2005 to fix the attack of a side sitting tenth, and to do it in January. The window reopens on 2 January. Before then come Torino at the Maradona on Saturday 21 November and Manchester City-Napoli on Tuesday 24 November.