Manchester United are reportedly willing to shell out €20 million to secure the signing of Italy full-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo from Serie A side Napoli this summer.
According to a report from La Stampa, as carried by Il Napolista, Manchester United have taken a liking to Napoli and Italy right-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo and are interested in signing him in the ongoing transfer window.
Di Lorenzo rose through lower league Italian sides Lucchese, Reggina and Matera before moving on to Empoli in 2017 where he properly burst onto the scenes. Two years later, the 27-year-old was picked up by Napoli, where he has been a regular in the right-back slot, racking up 95 appearances in which he has seven goals and 15 assists.
During this time, Di Lorenzo also managed to break into the Italian national team as well, and has gone on to feature 12 times for the Azzurri, with 50% of those appearances coming at the ongoing UEFA Euro 2020 where he has been a permanent fixture in the backline following the injury to Alessandro Florenzi.
Di Lorenzo has made the most of his chances in the continental competition, impressing with his defensive solidity game after game, especially in the semi-final against Spain, where he was made to work hard by Dani Olmo & co. While it has not come to the fore at the Euros, the 27-year-old is also quite potent going forward and can hit a mean cross into the box.
All these qualities have seemingly helped in gather interest from several top clubs across Europe. Indeed, the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid have been recently linked with a move for the 27-year-old, with Manchester United now registering an interest in his services.
Manchester United are in the market for a new right-sided full-back as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to add cover and competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Youngster Brandon Williams is headed out on loan this summer while Diogo Dalot, who is back from a loan spell at AC Milan, is staring at an uncertain future at Old Trafford, thus necessitating the signing of a new right-back.
Kieran Trippier of Atletico Madrid has been one of the most heavily linked names to Manchester United this summer. But, the La Liga champions are demanding a fee of around €40 million for the England international. In addition to that, Chelsea have also recently made their way into the race for the ex-Tottenham star.
So, Manchester United seem to be already looking at alternatives, with Di Lorenzo emerging as one such option. The 20-time English champions are said to be willing to offer €20 million for the Napoli man, who is contracted till 2025 but has previously spoken of his desire to play in the Premier League.
It now remains to be seen whether Manchester United’s interest in the Italian international translates into a formal approach or if they decide to push ahead with their pursuit of Trippier itself.
