Back in the summer, Mauricio Pochettino clearly identified attack as one of the areas to strengthen the Tottenham squad. They may have a potent striker in the form of Harry Kane, but depending on one player alone is not the sign of a title-challenging outfit. Spurs tried to address the issue by bringing in Vincent Janssen from AZ, but the Dutch international, though, was not the club’s first transfer target as they chased several only to be rebuffed with either a massive transfer fee or lack of interest.
Janssen has so far struggled heavily and is yet to score his first goal for the club. It leaves Pochettino once again heavily dependent on Kane. It is highly unlikely that Spurs may make a marquee signing in the upcoming January transfer window, but another injury for Kane could significantly alter this stance. One of the latest transfer targets for Spurs appears to be Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne. Calciomercato reports that Spurs have been watching the 25-year-old excel for the Italian outfit.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has a notorious reputation for holding on for massive transfer fees especially when it comes to the big names. This attitude was one of the reasons behind Edinson Cavani failing to come to the Premier League. Spurs will be hoping that De Laurentiis does not request an exorbitant amount for the transfer of Insigne, as the Italian is blossoming without the presence of Gonzalo Higuain.
Since the arrival of Higuain, the importance of Insigne was reduced considerably. A return of just two goals in 28 appearances in the 2014-15 season certainly did not help his reputation in this regard. In fact, Lorenzo Insigne had never scored more than 10 goals since joining Napoli in the 2012-13 season. It has taken just a season to rewrite this record, as Insigne came up with 12 goals in just 32 league matches last season. The 25-year-old was reportedly offered a contract extension by Napoli. However, talks appear to have broken down after the striker demanded around £100,000 per week in wages.
De Laurentiis does not have a reputation of being pushed around by his players. It is highly unlikely that Insigne would be a star at Napoli following this confrontation. Insigne could be sold in January or in the summer for around £44 million. The transfer fee could be a major stumbling block, although his contractual situation means that Napoli would sell him for a lower price rather than lose him on a free transfer.
Lorenzo Insigne is yet to score a goal for the Italian outfit, although he does have three assists from seven appearances.
