Napoli Squad Pleaded With Antonio Conte Not To Sell Noa Lang With Galatasaray Deal Close

Napoli’s squad unsuccessfully tried to convince Antonio Conte not to let Noa Lang join Galatasaray.

Napoli Players Made Last-Ditch Noa Lang Pitch

Lang is set to leave the Serie A club in the coming days, with Turkish giants Galatasaray in advanced negotiations.

However, he appears to have made plenty of allies inside the Partenopei’s dressing room, many of whom were desperate for him to stay.

According to Sky Sport, several players pleaded with Conte to change his mind, but were ultimately unsuccessful. Scott McTominay, Romelu Lukaku and Giovanni Di Lorenzo were all name-dropped.

Instead, winger Lang is expected to arrive in Istanbul over the coming days to undergo a medical and sign his contract. The deal will likely be a loan worth €2million with a €30m option to buy.

The 26-year-old had failed to truly establish himself since arriving in Naples, with a clean break the best course of action for all parties.

He made just 26 appearances for Napoli after joining from PSV Eindhoven last summer, scoring one goal. Primarily restricted to cameos off the bench, Lang played a meagre total of 937 minutes.

Lang also endured a public spat with Conte, accusing the head coach of speaking to him only once after his switch. Their differences were eventually set aside, but the ace had already burned his bridges.

With the Partenopei operating under tight financial restrictions in January, any incomings must be offset by departures. Unsurprisingly, Lang was a prime candidate to be moved on, along with Lorenzo Lucca.

As per Il Mattino, Premier League outfit Everton had also wanted Lang, but they are set to miss out. For now, the forward remains under contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona until 2030.

Galatasaray Set To Seal Deal This Week

According to Italian journalist Nicolo Schira, the move to Galatasaray could be wrapped up as soon as Thursday.

Paperwork is expected to be completed on Wednesday, and once the documents have been officially cleared, Lang will be able to fly out to Turkey. His new club are planning a signing ceremony for the same day.

Lang will be handed a four-and-a-half-year contract, covering the six-month loan and a permanent four-year stay. His annual salary is set to be approximately €4m, including lucrative bonuses.

Turkish reporter Yagiz Sabuncioglu has added that Galatasaray would cover half of the player’s annual net wages of €2.8m during his loan stint, totalling €1.4m for the rest of the current campaign.