Earlier on Monday, we covered Il Mattino’s reaction to Manolo Gabbiadini’s great start to life in England, which ended with the Naples based newspaper claiming the striker’s departure was already a ‘regret’.
Speaking to SportMediaset, relayed by Calciomercato, Silvio Pagliari explained he fully expected his client to ‘explode’ in the Premier League, as he had done something similar in his first six months at Napoli until Maurizio Sarri took over from Rafa Benitez.
However, despite the now Southampton forward’s difficult time under the current Napoli manager, Pagliari was quick to clarify there were ‘no hard feelings’ regarding the transfer.
He said: “Gabbiadini was simply mentally ready for a transfer abroad. He found an environment where he was pampered from day one, but we’re just starting out and he has to continue like this.
“There was no bitterness about leaving Italy, it’s a problem that never existed because Aurelio de Laurentiis would not have sold him in Italy, and we would have opted abroad even if he had.”
Keen to be a part of Italy’s squad for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and beyond, Gabbiadini appears to have chosen the ideal place to ply his trade, under a manager who has full faith in his striker’s ability.
That’s why when Pagliari stated him and his client were ‘happy’ with their January choice, you can only believe them.
