Amorim threatens to ruin January Man Utd transfer as €40m problem emerges

Ruben Amorim’s desire to keep hold of Kobbie Mainoo continues to prevent Napoli from making progress in negotiations with Manchester United, according to Italian media.

The Serie A giants are desperate to bring in midfield reinforcements, and they want to do so quickly. Stanislav Lobotka, Billy Gilmour, Frank Anguissa and Kevin de Bruyne are all injured, so Napoli are already working on signings now to have them available in the first days of January.

Mainoo is Antonio Conte’s top target, but the operation is not progressing as planned. Man Utd boss Amorim insists that the England international will not leave unless a replacement is found because he does not want to be left shorthanded.

According to Il Mattino, it is precisely Amorim’s veto that is preventing Napoli from making any headway. The Portuguese’s understandable obstinacy is threatening to completely derail this transfer.

As a result, Napoli are exploring other solutions, which is bad news for Mainoo, who would be keen on following Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund to Naples.

Napoli eye Loftus-Cheek swap

According to transfer insider Gianluca di Marzio, Napoli are exploring a potential swap deal with AC Milan that would see Ruben Loftus-Cheek head south, while striker Lorenzo Lucca moves the other way.

It was already suggested earlier this week that Napoli could sacrifice Lucca to free up room for a midfield signing. With Romelu Lukaku set to return from his long-term injury, the summer signing’s already limited game time is bound to become even more rare.

However, this does not appear to be without complications either as Lucca joined from Udinese on an initial loan deal with a purchase obligation that will be triggered if performance-related criteria are met.

Signing the 25-year-old permanently would be far from cheap. Napoli have already paid a whopping €9 million loan fee, and it would require an additional €26m to make his stay permanent. Another potential €5m in bonuses is also up for grabs.

Moreover, there is no guarantee that Milan would even be receptive to a swap for Loftus-Cheek. To say that the situation is complicated for Napoli would be an understatement.

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