Kvara not properly replaced, Elmas handed the nod,keep an eye on Noa Lang in January

here were plenty of notable takeaways from the interview given today to Corriere dello Sport by SSC Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna. The Naples-based executive shifted the focus of the January transfer window firmly onto the attack, chiefly due to concerns over the recovery timeline of Romelu Lukaku, who still needs time before returning to action. Uncertainty also surrounds Kevin De Bruyne’s full availability: “He will return to the city in the second half of January, then he will begin his reconditioning phase,” Manna explained.

There are two attacking situations currently shaping Napoli’s transfer thinking, one long in the open, the other emerging over the past few hours. The first concerns Lorenzo Lucca: with a suitable offer, Napoli are prepared to let him leave. Then there is Noa Lang, the Dutch winger signed last summer from PSV Eindhoven for €25m. “He comes from a different environment and needed some time to settle, but he has played some good matches. We expect and want more from him, but we have not taken any decisions in advance. The group comes before the individual: if players understand that, fine, otherwise we will make choices based on the moment,” said Manna.

Lang had already been a January target last season, immediately after the sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. On that occasion, however, PSV chose not to sell and only sanctioned his departure at the end of the campaign. Napoli believed he could be the Georgian’s replacement, but Manna returned to that issue too: “January is always risky. Last year we sold our most important player and perhaps we still haven’t replaced him at the right level.”

The admission that Kvaratskhelia has not been adequately replaced is perhaps the clearest signal that Lang could be moved on. At the very least, it opens the door to another arrival on the left flank. His usage tells its own story: despite the switch to a 3-4-2-1 system, a shape far better suited to his attributes, the former PSV man is far from an automatic starter. Quite the opposite. In both Italian Super Cup matches, Eljif Elmas started, while Lang was not even involved in the trip to Cremona.

In short, keep an eye on his future. He is certainly not considered untouchable.