Giovane To Napoli: Conte Resets the Attack After Lorenzo Lucca and Noa Lang Exit

Giovane to Napoli and a January Turning Point.

Sometimes the transfer market isn’t about buying more. It’s about fixing what doesn’t work.

And Giovane to Napoli perfectly captures Napoli’s January mindset.

Napoli is already saying goodbye to two big investments from last summer: Noa Lang and Lorenzo Lucca.

They’ve both already gotten on the plane and made it to their new teams: the Dutchman’s going to Galatasaray in Turkey, and the former Udinese striker is off to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

It’s a double exit, and it shows just how much the Azzurri’s technical project has had to change along the way.

Why Napoli Moved On From Lucca and Lang

For Lang the issue was mainly tactical. When it came to his Napoli team’s summer strategy, Antonio Conte was all about a flexible 4-3-3 formation.

But then, injuries to Lukaku and De Bruyne threw that plan for a loop.

The switch to 3-4-3 gave the Dutchman a new chance, with him playing behind the center forward next to Neres.

But over time, Conte realized he needed a more complete player, someone who could move between the lines and not just stay on the wing. That’s how he ended up choosing Elmas.

Lucca’s decline was different but just as meaningful. He was signed from and he was supposed to be Lukaku’s deputy.

Instead, he found himself competing with Rasmus Hojlund, a different striker who was more suited to the new Napoli.

Lang and Lucca could’ve stayed to play their cards. But January opened up new scenarios, concrete alternatives, and different timelines, made even more appealing by the World Cup on the horizon.

Conte’s New Blueprint Starts Now

With just ten days left before the transfer window closes and with fresh money from the two sales mention before, Napoli finally made a move.

On Wednesday evening, Manna started negotiations with Verona and Lazio for Giovane, got the striker’s approval, and then yesterday worked to reach an agreement with Hellas, after finalizing the two transfers.

Giovane is a minor, so he won’t be on the Serie A list, which has two open spots.

One will be filled with the return of De Bruyne, who had given way to Lukaku after his injury.

The other spot could be filled by an attacking winger. There are a few names in Manna’s notebook, like Daniel Maldini (who’s represented by the same agent as Lucca and Giovane) and Raheem Sterling, for whom Chelsea is willing to contribute up to 70 percent of his salary.