For a while, it looked like the bust-up between Pepe Reina and Aurelio De Laurentiis would make things easy for Newcastle, as they looked to bring the Spanish goalkeeper back to the Premier League.
Rafa Benitez was said to want a reunion with the 34-year-old, having managed him during his time at both Liverpool and Napoli, but the player’s agent tried to calm things down, explaining his client would stay in Naples until 2018.
Still, Napoli are looking to eventually replace Reina, meaning a goalkeeper is expected to be signed by them this summer, and that means that, if the right offer comes along, the Serie A side could be willing to let him go to St James’ Park.
And, according to Il Mattino on Monday, the amount necessary to convince Napoli is as little as €4m.
It might seem like pennies, but taking into account Reina’s age and the fact he only has one year left on his current deal, it does make sense.
Considering he is likely to leave on a free next summer, De Laurentiis would undoubtedly be delighted to get some money for Reina, especially if it ends up being a profit of the £1.7m he paid to get him from Bayern Munich in the first place.
The question now is: How much does Benitez want Reina?
