Serie A side Napoli are eyeing up a swoop to take West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna back to Italy this summer, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper state on their website that the Italian side’s new manager, former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, is seeking a centre back this summer and along with the Blues’ out-of-favour powerhouse David Luiz, the Hammers’ giant, who stands at 6’2″ (source: Transfermarkt) is also a transfer target.
The 30-year-old, who earns £70,000-a-week (source: Spotrac), was born in Italy and spent time at Torino and Juventus before making the move to east London, where he has been since 2015.
Good move for West Ham?
While the Irons might have signed Issa Diop already this summer, but they do need some experience in the squad and letting Ogbonna leave without another replacement coming in would be a big mistake.
He is one of the most consistent performers that they have had on their books in recent years and although he is not getting any younger, he still has the talent to be a big part of Manuel Pellegrini’s plans.
Still, if Napoli want to offer a hefty fee for his capture, then maybe it would be worth doing, but the Hammers know that they would rather have Ogbonna in their team than the money in the bank.
This is Futbol rating: 4/10
Likely to happen?
Luiz certainly sounds like Napoli’s first choice and with him being out of favour at Chelsea, a move could well be on the cards.
If that does go ahead, then their interest in Ogbonna will likely fade, so it seems as though the West Ham man is simply a backup option right now.
This is Futbol rating: 4/10