Bournemouth sold Philip Billing in the January transfer window and the move caught many off guard.
The midfielder is yet to make his debut for Napoli and it seems quite clear that he is only a squad player for Antonio Conte’s side, who are currently top of the table in Serie A.
The 28-year-old spoke to Radio CRC yesterday about his move to Naples and pinpointed Conte as an important reason for his transfer to the Partenopei.
He said, as relayed by Tuttomercatoweb: “He’s one of the reasons I came here, of course. He’s a winner and you have to be on top of things in training every day.
“I came here to learn and become a better player: I think he’s the perfect man for that.”
The ex-Bournemouth player also revealed that his teammates at Napoli have helped him settle into life well in Italy.
“When you come from abroad into a situation like this, you know you have to find your place, but everyone here is great.
“The relationship between my teammates is like that of a family. Everyone has been kind to me and tries to help me. I have only positive things to say about the group I’ve found here: they all work hard.”
The Dane was also asked about the tactical differences between the Premier League and Serie A.
He said: “Compared to the Premier League, what impressed me most about Serie A is the tactical aspect. This pushes you to use your brain a lot more. Every day we focus on tactics and I like it: it helps you understand the game better.”
The midfielder had joined Napoli on an initial loan with option to buy deal and it could see Bournemouth pocket over €10m in total.
Considering how Billing had played less than 200 minutes in the Premier League in the first half of the season, it is quite a decent amount for the Cherries.
Andoni Iraola’s side could potentially use those funds to sign an upgrade in the summer.
