Napoli‘s sporting director Giovanni Manna spoke about the prospect of signing Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho ahead of his team’s win over Juventus on Saturday, emphasising that the Serie A leaders won’t over-extend themselves financially for his talents.
Garnacho has been one of the names most strongly linked with a move to Antonio Conte’s team after the exit of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain, along with Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi.
ESPN reported last week that United had rejected an initial approach of around €50 million from Napoli for the Argentina international.
Asked by DAZN about the progress of any deal before the 2-1 victory at Stadio Diego Maradona, Manna said: “These are two names that are of interest to us, they are players we like, but they are not the only ones.
“We are trying to evaluate a few things and looking at the opportunities, but we certainly will not pay prices that are outside the market value.”
“We made this sale that unfortunately was necessary for what the player wanted and our dynamics. We will respect our parameters, not just for the transfer fee, but also the salary.
“We are evaluating a few situations, it would not be right to give our fans false hope, but we will certainly do what is best to improve the squad.”
Garnacho is under contract until 2028, and sources told ESPN that United’s valuation is well in excess of the numbers included in Napoli’s opening enquiry.
United also want to keep the 20-year-old — considered one of the club’s best young players — although there is an acceptance that their worrying finances could lead to difficult decisions if big offers are made.
Garnacho has played 33 times for United this season in all competitions, scoring eight goals and adding five assists.
Information from ESPN’s Rob Dawson and Moises Llorens contributed to this report.