Napoli really need to keep hold of Edinson Cavani

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentis has insisted that the club have no intention of selling their highly-rated attacker Edinson Cavani.

The 24 year-old has attracted interest from a host of Europe’s top teams in recent years and his form this season has made them even keener to sign the striker.

Priceless

De Laurentis has revealed that he believes that Cavani is ‘priceless’ and he isn’t even considering selling the Uruguayan. The Napoli owner told GR Parlamento:

“How much is Cavani worth? Cavani is priceless.

“He is not for sale. I wouldn’t sell him for 100million euros (£88m). For now his mission is to fight for the colours of Napoli. If I say he is worth a lot, hopefully people will tire of asking about him.

“Once [Inter Milan owner, Massimo] Moratti phoned me to ask about [Marek] Hamsik but I told him that he wasn’t moving and Moratti promised that he would not ask about any more players.”

Inter may not be attempting to sign the player anytime soon but that doesn’t mean the Uruguayan international will remain in Naples. De Laurentis may just be using the media as a bargaining tool to get the best possible fee for his player, a much used tactic in recent years.

Challengers

This season the men from Naples have enjoyed a fantastic campaign and they are currently competing with the Milan giants of AC and Inter for the Serie A crown. Napoli have not had this sort of season since their glory days of in the eighties.

That team was inspired by a South American attacker in Diego Maradona. Edinson Cavani isn’t quite in the same league as the little Argentinian but he could play a crucial part in helping Napoli to the Scudetto.

He has already been a key component in Napoli’s play so far this season. He has scored 25 goals in the Italian top flight despite playing as a lone striker for much of the season. This season has been his most prolific and he is starting to fulfil the potential that so many teams have seen in him.

Best Players

Napoli have no real need to sell Cavani, as if as expected they clinch a Champions League spot then the club will receive a hefty amount of television money.

And if Napoli do sell the ex-Palermo man then they receive a massive fee. However they will lose of one of their key players. If Napoli ever want to become a major force then they have to keep hold the likes of Cavani and playmaker Marek Hamsik.

The Italian top flight isn’t currently at its strongest and Napoli have shown they can put in a realistic challenge for the league title. This season’s performance should be enough to prove to their big players that the club is ambitious and going places, that they don’t have to move elsewhere to win trophies and challenge for titles.

Move

This summer Edinson Cavani will probably have the pick of Europe’s top clubs to choose from. However he looks like he has found a home in the Napoli team and seems to enjoy the way the side plays.

I think the decision over his future will lie completely with the player. In these days of player power it’s unlikely that the club would be able to keep hold of him against his will. I do believe though that if Napoli wins the Scudetto that Edinson Cavani will still be with the Naples outfit next season.

Will Edinson Cavani stay at Napoli this summer?