Napoli tracked Doumbia early but never bid, and he now

Napoli tracked Doumbia early but never bid, and he now costs €80m

His agent, Cheikh Sadibou, says sporting director Giovanni Manna had followed Issa Doumbia since his Juventus Under-23 days. Turning a phone call into an offer needed the owner's approval.

by Rosaria CimminoFriday 13 November, 15:14 CET· 3 hours ago

Doumbia, l'agente: «Il Napoli mi ha chiamato». Ma l'offerta non è mai arrivata, e ora lo Sporting lo blinda a 80 milioni — Grafica Arena Napoli

Napoli were onto Issa Doumbia before most clubs. His agent, Cheikh Sadibou, says sporting director Giovanni Manna was following him while he was still with the Juventus Under-23 side, before his move to Venezia. Then came the catch: "A chat is one thing, making an offer is another. And to make an offer, you always need the owner's go-ahead."

Sporting made the offer. The Lisbon club followed him for a full year and wanted him in January, but Venezia were pushing for Serie A, so the deal waited until the end of the season. In Portugal he starts every game, and his contract has an €80m release clause that applies from July 2027. Mancini also started him against Turkey in Bologna.

Sadibou himself admits that Venezia's asking price was hard to justify for a Serie B (Italy's second tier) player at a relegated club. Even so, Napoli spotted him in time, and he now costs €80m. Napoli are tenth on 15 points and are planning a January of swaps and sales to pay for new signings. It is fair to ask how many other chats never became offers.