Among the most anticipated teams at the starting line of the 2021/2022 Serie A there is certainly Spalletti's new NapoliThe Azzurri are coming off a decidedly troubled season, missing out on Champions League qualification on the final day and with injuries being the only consistent factor. Is this why De Laurentiis has decided to change coaching and hand over the reins to a coach seeking revenge like Luciano Spalletti? But will the marriage work? And above all, how will Spalletti's new Napoli play? Let's try to figure it out while we await the latest transfer news, which could change some of the squad's key players.
At the moment the Neapolitans are leaving behind Inter, Juve and Milan in Serie A odds But they're ready to climb the ladder. Their desire for redemption will be the driving force behind quickly overcoming last season's defeat and returning to the Scudetto race, as they did just three seasons ago. And Napoli's character will be matched by Spalletti's, determined to prove he's still one of Italy's best coaches after his last disappointing experience with Inter.
In the meantime, from the historic retreat in Dimaro, some important indications are arriving on what the new Napoli will be. The coach has already brought the first innovations. Not only work on the schemes but also individual tactical sessions that also involve the starters. We will certainly start again from classic 4-2-3-1, a scheme well known to the players in the squad and on which the Tuscan coach has built his best fortunes.
As always, the 4-2-3-1 will be the offensive formation, while when it comes to defending, the 4-4-1-1 will be used, with the attacking wingers ready to fall back to the midfield line to ensure compactness for the entire unit. The main alternative, especially against more closed teams, could be the 4-3-3 with the top corner moving down and the two wingers widening, ready to break down the toughest defences with their 1-on-1 ability.
The new Napoli will likely present itself with a more "modern" approach to defense. Spalletti is attempting to establish a much higher ball recovery, supported by the speed and physicality of the starting central defenders Manolas and Koulibaly. The role of the full-backs will also be crucial to this approach. And while Di Lorenzo offers guarantees in both phases of play, Malcuit and Mario Rui still need to make huge strides to ensure the same performance both in attack and defense.
What is certain is that the advanced reference point will be Victor Osimhen, who has looked in fine form in the first pre-season outings. If the Nigerian can stay clear of physical problems, he could be the ideal striker for Spalletti's team. Extremely quick, with an excellent eye for goal and a willingness to sacrifice himself, Osimhen is also capable of capitalizing on crosses from the wings, a key component of Napoli's play.
We can also hypothesize a possible starting lineup, given the still evolving transfer market.
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And so far, we've discussed the current players. But some players could arrive and others could leave. There will certainly be at least one addition in midfield. Bakayoko returned to Chelsea with no regrets, and Demme is sidelined for the start of the season. So far, Spalletti is experimenting with Lobotka and the young Gaetano in the deep-lying playmaker role, and is also evaluating moving Zielinski back, with Elmas promoted to the starting attacking midfielder. But these are temporary solutions. If they truly want to compete for the Scudetto again, they need a midfielder capable of defending and establishing play.
Three profiles currently on Giuntoli's notebook: the 23-year-old Sander Berge of Sheffield United, the 25-year-old Thorsby of Sampdoria and his peer Basic of Bordeaux. All three have excellent physical qualities and well-trained feet. At the moment the problem is the price. De Laurentiis has already declared that he does not want to do crazy things in this market and unless we focus on loans, sales will be necessary.
The real market problem, however, is the renewal of captain Lorenzo InsigneInsigne, a key figure at Euro 2020 and Italy's top scorer last season, has a contract expiring in 2022 and could leave Napoli on a free transfer at the end of the season. The parties are currently far apart. At 30, the youngster would like to cash in on the last major deal of his career, but the management is stuck on an offer even lower than his current salary.
At the moment, the most likely scenario is that both sides will stick to their positions to start the season without any problems and that negotiations will resume during the season. A risky option, but one that seems the only viable one. There certainly won't be another Milik situation, with the player sidelined after rejecting all renewal offers.
Regardless of the Insigne situation, the priority remains to give Spalletti a left back with an international profile. Ghoulam has never recovered from his physical problems and Mario Rui remains a fallback solution. For this reason Giuntoli is thinking about two profiles, those of Emerson Palmieri and Tsimikas, Greek full-back for Liverpool.
The trail leading to Palmieri seems to have temporarily cooled. Inter are also interested in the player, and the price is decidedly high. It's much easier to get a hold of him. Konstantinos Tsimikas, acquired in the summer of 2020 from Liverpool but quickly relegated to the bench due to injury and technical issues, is not part of Klopp's current plans, and the Reds' management could loan him out to give him more minutes and games under his belt. However, several European clubs are also interested in him.
