Napoli haven't been very active this summer compared to the other top Italian clubs. The only big additions were those of Mirko Valdifiori and Allan, but this could very well change in the final days as they're are looking to sign Jacopo Sala and Romulo.

Poor start to the campaign

Napoli had a disappointing campaign in 2014/2015 and things didn’t look any different against Sassuolo in their first match of this season. The performance showed some of the same flaws that the squad had the past 12 months; a shaky defense and lack of efficiency in front of goal.

While they managed to keep their key players such as Gonzalo Higuaín, Jose Callejón and Dries Mertens, they didn’t sign any big names, something they might need to do in order to compete with the likes of Juventus, Roma and Inter.

Jacopo Sala

The 23-year-old was one of the best defenders in Serie A last season and would help solve Napoli’s defensive problems a lot. He’s a very solid defender that is also fairly versatile and can play in midfield. His ideal position would be in a 3-5-2 formation as a right wing back, but he could easily play as the right back in Napoli’s four man defense.

Sala was bought by Hellas Verona when they were just promoted to Serie A back in 2013 and quickly became one of the most promising Italian wing backs. He spent a few years at Chelsea’s youth academy and had a disappointing spell at Hamburger SV before coming back to Italy a couple of years ago where he finally seems to have blossomed.

He has been also a regular in the Azzurri youth teams for several years now and was heavily linked with a move to Inter this summer, in case Yuto Nagatomo or Danilo D’Ambrossio were to leave the nerazzurri.

Romulo

The Brazilian midfielder was great for the Verona side in the 2013-2014 campaign becoming one of their best players along Juan Iturbe, but spent last season on loan at Juventus. He didn’t get to enjoy much of the Bianconeri’s success on the pitch as he was sidelined due to injuries for most of his tenure there, making only five appearances.  

His position is fairly similar to Sala’s, as he can play as right back or in midfield, being slightly more offensive minded than his teammate. He contributed six goals in Serie A at Hellas in his sole season at the club.  

Who Napoli need more

While both would be good additions to Napoli, Sala would make more sense as he offers more  security at the back, something the team desperately need. Romulo contributes more up front, where Napoli possess more depth. Also, the age gap is an important factor, as Sala has big room for improvement and potential resale value. 

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About the author
Hernán Busso
European football and tennis fanatic. You can follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/Hernan1897