In a dramatic turn of events, Napoli’s seemingly straightforward pursuit of Alessandro Buongiorno has been complicated by Inter’s surprise interest. The negotiations for the Torino defender took an unexpected twist, leading to a frenzied night of discussions in Milan.
Calciomercato report how Beppe Riso, Buongiorno’s agent, had initially reached an agreement with Napoli. However, after a meeting at Inter’s headquarters to finalize Franco Carboni’s move to River Plate and act as an intermediary for Tessmann’s transfer to Venezia, Riso admitted to discussing Buongiorno with the Nerazzurri as well.
Inter’s interest in Buongiorno stems from their need to reinforce their defense, potentially allowing Carlos Augusto to play as a left wing-back during Buchanan’s absence due to a tibia injury sustained during training with Canada. The Milan club is considering selling Stefan de Vrij if they receive a suitable offer from Al-Ittihad, soon to be managed by Stefano Pioli.
Napoli, unwilling to lose ground, quickly arranged a late-night meeting between sporting director Giovanni Manna and Riso. The Partenopei reiterated their commitment to making Buongiorno the cornerstone of their defense under new manager Antonio Conte. Their offer stands at €35 million plus €5 million in bonuses to Torino, along with a five-year contract worth approximately €3 million per year for Buongiorno. The deal also includes a release clause that can be activated after the third year.
The nocturnal negotiations appear to have swung in Napoli’s favor, with reports suggesting they are now close to securing Buongiorno’s signature. However, some details still need to be ironed out, and today is expected to be crucial in determining the outcome of this transfer saga.
