Napoli get a close look at €20m target Varela as Lucca waits on the bench

De Laurentiis has already named his price for Varela: €20m. On Wednesday 28 October, Napoli face the Portuguese Monza forward at the U-Power Stadium, with kick-off at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 15:45 ET).

Napoli's own strikers explain the interest. Højlund has two goals and has not scored since 5 September. Lucca joined from Udinese in the summer for €35m and has yet to score. The club is already willing to let him go in January, probably on loan.

Højlund is expected to lead the line at Monza, with Lucca on the bench. So the most expensive signing of the summer starts as a substitute, a few yards from the forward Napoli would like to buy to replace him.

A growing queue

Varela's impact at Monza has been strong enough for people to call it a breakthrough. He is the son of a former player, Benfica have never stopped following him, and he already knows the pace of Serie A.

Napoli are not the only ones who like what they see. Ajax and PSV have sent scouts to watch him. Both clubs have long traditions of developing young players, and both can offer what a young player wants most: minutes and a European stage.

Monza are in no hurry. They hope Varela keeps scoring, sparks a bidding war and pushes his price up. A move that waits until June, at the end of the season, is not ruled out.

This needs saying plainly, because every fan is asking it. The window closed two months ago with €35m spent on a centre-forward. Now another €20m is being lined up for a striker. Whoever builds the squad answers for it. If the attack needs reinforcing by the end of October, the summer did not go to plan, and a second €20m gamble does not cancel out the first.

There is another detail. €20m is also the figure at which the club would listen to offers for Neres in January. It looks less like a strategy and more like a revolving door.

The bigger problem is at the back

A bigger question hangs over the season than Varela's name. Napoli are tenth with 11 points after eight league games, their worst start since 2009-10. What the fanbase holds against Allegri is mainly at the other end: 17 goals conceded in 11 matches, and a team that sits deep and lets leads slip. That is what happened in the 3-3 against Roma, when Balerdi scored twice.

A striker who scores regularly would help. But believing one centre-forward can fix this season is an illusion, and the people running the transfer window should know that.

Juric's Monza are 15th with 7 points and have lost five of their eight games. Varela is in their 25-man squad. Landucci takes charge of Napoli from the bench, with Allegri suspended and watching from the stands.

If Varela hurts Napoli, his price goes up and the club pays twice: in the table and in January. Juventus come next on Sunday 1 November, still without Allegri. In Turin, Napoli do not need a striker to buy. They need goals from the ones they already have.