Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed his club are working on a deal to sign Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopolous.
Reports over the past few weeks have indicated that the Italian side are keen on the Greek centre back, particularly if Kalidou Koulibaly should leave as expected.
A move has seemingly been edging closer and closer with a report from Corriere Dello Sport today claiming that he is ‘doing everything’ to leave Arsenal and talks are ‘underway’ to make a move happen.
The tone of the reports has very much been that a deal could be struck sooner rather than later. Keen to leave Arsenal, Napoli is a suitable destination given his relationship with manager Gennaro Gattuso, who was his teammate at AC Milan.
De Laurentiis has now revealed talks are underway, in the midst of taking a swipe at the transfer market and those involved.
“Papastathopoulos? We are working on it, we are seeing,” he told Kiss Kiss Napoli, relayed by Calcio Napoli 24.
“The outgoing market is all laughter. In the cinema you are confronted with people with ten thousand balls, in the world of football the balls swell up, and everyone invents all sorts of balls.
“They’re blackmailers, but I’ve got calluses in them, and I’m swimming in the s**t I move. I’d like to see how shameless they want to get.”
