Napoli plan bigger January move to stay in the top four

The summer window closed on Tuesday 1 September with a net spend of around minus €47.5m and barely any real reinforcements for the first team — a near self-imposed freeze. According to Tuttosport, writing on Wednesday 23 September, Napoli are ready to change pace and return to the market in January. Any incomings would depend on departures, aimed at fixing flaws already visible in the current squad.

The clause 'depending on exits' is not a minor detail. Both Anguissa and McTominay have contracts expiring on 30 June 2027, and talks remain open over their departure. McTominay has only just returned to Castel Volturno (the training ground) after heart-ablation surgery in Manchester on 9 September. A midfield that could empty out between now and January is exactly the scenario that would make new signings necessary, not just desirable.

One target has already emerged. Napoli have identified Sebastian Szymanski, of Rennes, with Como also interested in the same player. The French club want €20m for the 27-year-old, formerly of Feyenoord and Fenerbahçe, who has one goal and one assist this season. He is the first concrete name to be linked with an active January.

The squad's limits have shown up on the pitch more than in words over the first five rounds. The attack has struggled to make an impact: Lucca, a €35m signing, is still waiting for a tactical idea that gets the best from him, while Højlund touches the ball more often in midfield than in the box. It is not a new theme for anyone following the club, but Wednesday's report adds a concrete detail — the club is said to be planning to act, not simply wait.

The question supporters have carried since August remains: if the flaws were visible before the season even began, why is the fix only coming in January. A declared aim of finishing in the top four at any cost carries double the weight if, five games in, it turns out the correction was needed sooner.