Brighton & Hove Albion remain locked in negotiations with Napoli over defender Leo Ostigard, with the Italian side reluctant to meet the Seagulls’ demands.
That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who say Brighton are asking for €5m, but Napoli are only interested in a loan at this moment in time.
They’ve been keen on Ostigard for the past few months, having been impressed by him during a loan spell at Genoa in the second half of last season.
He’s equally keen on the move, and several reports have made it clear he’s already in agreement with Napoli after his agent Jim Solbakken held talks.
Indeed, he’s made them his priority, turning down interest from elsewhere in Italy so he can move to Naples and enjoy Champions League football next season.
They’ve ‘not yet reached an agreement’ with Brighton, though, and Gazzetta explain why that is the case today.
They report that Graham Potter’s side want an immediate €5m payment for Ostigard, but Napoli don’t want to pay that and are instead asking for a loan with an obligation to buy.
In truth, this sounds like the usual issues when negotiating with Italian teams, who are consistently reluctant to spend their money in any way possible regardless of what player is being chased.
Their stance is usually one of kicking their problems as far down the line as possible, and that is exactly what Napoli are doing with Ostigard here.
Brighton, though, appear to be standing firm, meaning this deal, which could have been done and dusted a long time ago, looks likely to be one we’ll be hearing about for a while yet as a result.
