ALEJANDRO GARNANCHO’s transfer to Napoli fell apart after the star made an “unfair” request to join them.
Garnacho, 20, at one stage looked destined to leave Manchester United during the winter transfer window.
GettyAlejandro Garnacho’s move to Napoli failed due to one ‘unfair’ reason[/caption]
GettyNapoli sporting director Giovanni Manna said they ‘really wanted him’[/caption]
This was due to him partly not fitting Ruben Amorim‘s system, partly owing to a lack of minutes and partly due to PSR pressure on Man Utd.
Napoli and Chelsea were among the main clubs linked with the winger, but ultimately a deal was not reached with Garnacho finding a new lease of life at Old Trafford.
The Italian side had been looking to sign a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who departed for Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the month in a deal worth £59m.
But Giovanni Manna, sporting director of the Naples outfit, has now revealed why a deal to sign the Argentine fell apart.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, he said: “We discussed and met Garnacho even before Kvara left, we made an important offer to United. We really wanted him.
“The player wanted to leave the Premier League in January because in July it’s different; he wanted to be satisfied financially, something that we can’t do at the moment.
“We don’t want to and I don’t even think it’s fair when there’s an average salary in the dressing room and you put a young player who earns a higher salary.
“It’s not right towards the others who are doing important things.”
“We created a competitive team for a competition, and we are there thanks to the coach and the team, it wasn’t right.”
Despite extensive discussions with the Red Devils, Napoli were also unable to agree a transfer fee despite the asking price being lowered to £55m.
Napoli were also in the race for Patrick Dorgu, before he eventually moved to Man Utd in a deal worth £25m plus £4m in add-ons.
Manna added: “Napoli must take strong players, whether they’re young or older.
“For example, we negotiated Dorgu for the summer, then if United arrives and makes an offer outside the market it’s difficult to tell them to wait for us.
“I’ll give you a practical example – if there’s an opportunity like [Scott] McTominay we’ll take it, but we’re not a club that takes a free agent for a five million salary and six million commission, that’s not our modus operandi, many others do it.
“We take the good ones, the functional ones, if they have a prospect it’s better, but it’s not a necessary condition.
“We took Buongiorno, Gilmour, but also Spinazzola, McTominay, Neres, Romelu, strong players in their market moment.
“It seems that we had to do who knows what, we had to replace Kvara, we didn’t do it as we wanted but this summer we made few mistakes and the team is showing it.
“Taking the step to please Garnacho means that I put someone in there with players who have been busting their asses since July… it’s not right, then we wanted to do it.
“I’m not happy, we didn’t succeed, but the market didn’t end yesterday, it starts again and we will have to be good and show strength now.
“Staying focused on the Champions League objective, which doesn’t mean not dreaming but staying focused, otherwise if you fly then you fall and hurt yourself.
“This Napoli deserves only positive words, always and in any case, what is being done nobody expected.”
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