On Thursday, TuttoMercatoWeb reported Brighton & Hove Albion have joined Napoli in the chase for Udinese’s Lazar Samardžić.
Later that day, Gazzetta dello Sport stated the Seagulls have a €20m bid ready and have to convince the midfielder to conclude the transfer.
A fresh report from TuttoMercatoWeb states the saga around the 21-year-old is set to drag on for a while after Brighton and Juventus inclusion in the transfer race.
Napoli have shown keen interest in the Serbia international and it seemed like they were close to acquiring his services. Roberto De Zerbi’s side and the Turin club could upset the Serie A winners’ plans.
It’s said the Old Lady would like to block the player for next summer, while Brighton could take advantage of their ‘economic power’ to burn competition from Juventus and Napoli.
Samardžić’s preference, if he were to leave his current employer, isn’t mentioned.
Meanwhile, Udinese Ftechnical director Federico Balzaretti has confirmed Samardžić has received approaches from Italy and England. He has also revealed Napoli aren’t close to agreeing a deal, which would give hope to Brighton.
“He has many admirers in Italy and abroad. There have been contacts with Napoli, the presidents have spoken to each other but there is no closeness to closure,” he said, as relayed by Gianluca Di Marzio.
“We have a good relationship with him and his entourage, he is focused, he has trained well, he is serious and focused on what our goal is. His future depends on the present and his daily life. There is no close closure.
“We know that the boy is respected in Italy, but they also ask for information from abroad, from the Premier League. So, he’s an attractive guy on the market.”
