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Former Real Madrid and Inter Milan striker Antonio Cassano recently lashed out at the management of Napoli for opting for a loan move for AC Milan’s Noah Okafor while letting go of an opportunity to rope in Nigerian attacker Ademola Lookman from Atalanta as replacement for the departed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and this might just prove detrimental to the title hopes in the current race for the Scudetto.
Napoli sold Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the winter transfer window for a fee of around €75 million, which created a big void in their attacking setup. The head coach Antonio Conte had highlighted the need for a high-quality replacement to keep the competitive edge intact. Although Napoli were associated with several forwards, including Lookman and Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, they signed Okafor, a decision which Cassano thinks was a tactical mistake.
Speaking with Viva El Futbol via Napoli, Cassano expressed his agreement with Conte’s evident frustration about the club’s transfer activities:
“I agree with what Conte said: either someone arrives who makes the difference, or it’s better to stay as is. I don’t know what Napoli’s philosophy is now, but I’m convinced that the coach has an idea: with a player of a certain level, you win the championship.”
Cassano gave evidence of Conte’s growing discontent, pointing to the coach’s irritation during recent press conferences as a result of the lack of impactful signings. He criticized the club’s strategy of acquiring Okafor on loan instead of investing in a proven talent like Lookman:
It’s more than that: “Already during the press conference a few days ago, Conte was irritated since nobody had signed up, and he is right. In February, nobody foresaw Napoli as first, not throwing away so many games, and what have you done? You took 75 million away from Kvara and bought in Okafor. For me, it was the wrong strategy.”
Cassano added that Napoli should have tried to sign Lookman by activating his €55 million release clause and offering a player in exchange for the Nigerian forward:
“So I say, you took 75 million and Lookman’s release clause also is 55 million even now that he’s injured, so you give them Raspadori and then take a ready player who will make the difference, knows Serie A, Inter should be afraid. It will be a massive mistake not taking a high-quality player instead of Kvara. In my opinion, the club thought that entering the top four was a kind of miracle, and next year you will use a nest egg. Conte will be poisoned by.”
Ademola Lookman has been quite instrumental in the successes of Atalanta this season. The Nigerian attacker might be currently out due to a knee injury, but will most likely return later in the month to play some vital roles in Atalanta’s seasons.
Casasno’s statements have stirred the debate amongst football experts and their fans on what Napoli did during the transfer market and if or not this would affect their performances in the second part of the current season.
