(Xinhua) Luis Enrique, the first choice for SSC Napoli’s next manager, has a clear idea of who he wants to replace Kim Min-jae.
French outlet Footmercato reported on Tuesday (June 30) that Luis Enrique has made a number of demands on Napoli.
The 2022/23 Serie A champions are already preparing to say goodbye to some of their key players at the end of the season.
First, Luciano Spalletti, the coach who took Napoli to the top of Serie A, has publicly expressed his desire to leave the club, saying he wants a break.
“I need a break,” Spalletti said 메이저놀이터 recently while accepting the award for best coach in Serie A this season. I’m not going to do anything for another year.”
Following Spalletti, one of Europe’s best defenders, Kim Min-jae, is also expected to part ways with Napoli in the near future.
He has been heavily linked with Premier League giants Manchester United, increasing his chances of leaving Napoli after just one year.
Napoli have tried their best to keep the player, but the stubbornness of the parties has led them to give up on re-signing him and start looking for a new manager.
Luis Enrique, who was in charge of the Spanish national team until last year, is currently the first choice for Napoli’s next manager. Enrique was forced to relinquish the reins of the Spanish national team after they were eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Napoli also considered Vincenzo Italiano (Fiorentina) as a candidate, but he was unwilling to pay compensation to the club, so they approached Enrique, who is currently without a job.
“According to our research, Enrique asked Napoli for an annual salary of €8 million (approx. KRW11.3 billion),” the outlet said, adding, “There are several other demands besides the salary.”
“As Napoli informed him of the possible transfer of Kim Min-jae, Enrique demanded Pau Torres (Villarreal) as a replacement for Kim Min-jae,” it added.
Torres, a Spanish defender born in 1997, is a rare left-footed center back who has attracted interest from big clubs in Europe due to his 6-foot-1 build-up play.
Torres was called up by Enrique to the Spanish national team, and the two became friends when they traveled together to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Torres is also known as Villarreal’s “holy grail defender,” having spent his entire youth and professional career at the same club, with the exception of one season on loan at Malaga.
Transfermarkt, which estimates the price of soccer players, estimated that it would take €45 million (approximately $63.6 billion) to sign Torres.