How Ancelotti saved Napoli from transfer embarrassment

30 ott 2018

When Maurizio Sarri left Napoli this summer, there were concerns over the future performance of the Naples club. However, the club have found the perfect successor to Sarri in Carlo Ancelotti; who has brought his big-team management experience to Naples and has been looking to harness it for the best of the club. Napoli fought back from a goal down on Sunday to draw 1-1 with AS Roma, Dries Mertens scoring a late equaliser to spare Napoli the embarrassment of home defeat – after Stephan El Shaarawy scored an early goal to put Roma in the lead.

Mertens had a €28million release clause in his contract for foreign clubs, which expired earlier this year. Mertens, as is being reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, was close to considering a Napoli departure before new head coach Ancelotti stepped in and spoke to the Belgian forward – likely making various promises and reassurances in return that Mertens would not accept any offers from other clubs, if they were to meet the release clause. Mertens was a target of Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur; amongst other clubs.

Mertens has been replaced temporarily in the starting XI by Polish forward Milik; yet the Belgian has picked up an important assist in the dying moments of the game against Liverpool and now the equaliser in an important clash against last season’s third-place side, Roma.

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