Nikola Maksimovic, who has displeased quite a few Torino fans this summer by forcing a transfer, is now one step away from completing a switch to Napoli. The player was reportedly courted by Chelsea too this summer. However, the Blues were unable to capture his signature.
It seems that Chelsea’s pursuit for a central defender all summer is not going to bear any fruit after all. After being rebuffed in their efforts to sign Koulibaly by Napoli, Chelsea tried snatching away Nikola Maksimovic who was a Napoli target all summer. The Maksimovic deal was a long and a protracted one but it seems now that both parties – Torino and Napoli – have come to an agreement regarding the defender’s future.
The details of the deal
Napoli’s initial bid was in the range of some €22 million bid plus bonuses. But the latest offer for the Serbian seems to be €25 million plus €1 million in bonuses, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. Napoli, in addition, has offered the services of former Empoli midfielder Mirko Valdifiori to Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side. According to Di Marzio, however, the agreement, or the lack of it, over the initial loan with an option to buy Valdifiori is what is holding up the deal.
But these minor details are to be finalised soon as the transfer guru predicts the buyout option to be around the range of €3-€3.5 million. While Maksimovic is expected to be in Naples in the coming hours to pledge allegiance to the San Paolo outfit, the same allegiance he solemnly broke with Torino after not turning up in practise day after day – something that led his compatriot and coach to proclaim that the defender (Maksimovic) “is dead to me” (via Goal).
Both Maksimovic and Valdifiori will begin life with a clean slate under two very different managers this season. Torino’s entire backline this season has been revamped, with Maksimovic following the footsteps of club captain Kamil Glik of Poland, who departed for Monaco, and Brazilian Bruno Peres who joined Roma. Leandro Castan and Ceare Bovo will be the first choice centre back pair this season.