Napoli’s fire sale continues as Baldanzi gets his wish

January 23 saw Serie A clubs clear house with Lucca, Lang and Baldanzi all heading for the exit. But is Conte losing patience, or just reshuffling?

Something is stirring in Naples, and it doesn’t feel entirely planned.

Thursday saw Antonio Conte wave goodbye to two of his summer arrivals in quick succession. Lorenzo Lucca packed his bags for Nottingham Forest. Noa Lang boarded a flight to Istanbul. Neither player made it past Christmas as a regular starter. That says something about recruitment, about patience, or maybe both.

Lucca heads to England with questions trailing behind

The 6ft 7in striker was supposed to be Napoli’s future. Udinese couldn’t hold onto him after 14 Serie A goals last season. The champions came calling with a deal that made sense on paper.

It lasted six months. Two goals in 23 appearances. Just four starts. Conte, who doesn’t suffer passengers gladly, had seen enough.

Forest, sitting 17th in the Premier League and desperate after Chris Wood’s knee surgery in December, didn’t need much convincing. Fabrizio Romano reported a €1 million loan fee with an option to buy worth up to €40 million. That’s the kind of number that suggests someone still believes.

Edu Gaspar, Forest’s global head of football, offered the standard welcome: “Lorenzo is a player who adds specific qualities to our team.” The question is whether those qualities include scoring. At the City Ground, that’s not optional.

Lang arrives in Istanbul chasing minutes and redemption

Noa Lang’s Napoli adventure reads like a warning label for expensive summer signings. The Dutch winger cost €25 million from PSV. He played 709 minutes. One goal. Two assists. Twenty-seven appearances that felt more like cameos.

Galatasaray spotted an opportunity. The €2 million loan fee comes with a €30 million purchase option, though nobody’s committing to that just yet. Lang touched down at Atatürk Airport on Thursday and didn’t hide his relief.

“The size of the club and the passion of the supporters played a big role,” he told reporters. Then came an interesting admission: “I knew Galatasaray well. I spent some time here when I was very young.”

Unfinished business, perhaps. Or just a player desperate to play football again.

Baldanzi reunites with the man who believed in him first

Tommaso Baldanzi’s departure from Roma carries a different kind of weight. Daniele De Rossi brought the 22-year-old to the capital in January 2024, convinced he was special. Two years and 69 appearances later, Baldanzi is following his mentor to Genoa.

The loan includes a €10 million option to buy. Roma’s official statement was warm but final: “Good luck, Tommaso!” The midfielder’s farewell on social media landed softer: “Thank you, Roma, for this journey together; it’s been wonderful.”

De Rossi took the Genoa job in November after Patrick Vieira’s dismissal left the club in 18th place. He needs players who trust his methods. Baldanzi, who struggled for consistency under subsequent Roma managers, fits the profile. Whether Genoa can afford to keep him depends entirely on avoiding relegation. That’s not a certainty right now.

Karlsson’s loan merry-go-round continues

Jesper Karlsson’s career since leaving AZ Alkmaar has been a study in diminishing returns. Bologna paid €11 million for a winger who scored 35 league goals and provided 26 assists in Eredivisie. They got injuries, limited minutes, and a succession of loan moves.

Aberdeen thought they’d found a gem when Karlsson arrived in the summer. He was their top scorer with six goals in 26 games. Then Bologna activated a recall clause on Wednesday and shipped him straight to Utrecht.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to show myself at FC Utrecht,” Karlsson said. He’s 27 now. Time for opportunities is running short.

The bigger picture at Napoli

Conte’s project in Naples was supposed to bring discipline, intensity, a winning edge. The champions remain third in Serie A, which sounds fine until you remember they arrived there partly by addition through subtraction.

Lang and Lucca represent €34 million of summer investment that didn’t work out. Napoli need outgoing deals to fund January reinforcements. Giovane from Hellas Verona is already lined up for a medical. The reshuffle continues.

Whether this is smart business or panic mode depends on your perspective. Conte doesn’t usually stick around when things go sideways. The next few weeks will tell us which version of Napoli we’re watching.