Real Madrid’s rising star Achraf Hakimi is reportedly a transfer target for Serie A runners-up Napoli.
Real Madrid’s promising young full-back Achraf Hakimi is wanted by Italian club Napoli, according to reports from Sky Italia.
Having come through the youth ranks at Real Madrid, whose academy he joined back in 2006, the 19-year-old broke into the European champions’ senior team in the 2017/18 campaign under former manager Zinedine Zidane, acting as a backup for Dani Carvajal, who had a injury-ridden campaign. Hakimi featured 17 times across all competitions for the Merengues scoring twice and setting up one more goal in the process.
The Moroccan international may have not been able to establish himself as a regular for the Spanish capital side but showed signs of great promise in his handful of appearances. Hakimi also has 6 international appearances under his belt for Morocco.
And now, Napoli, who are managed by former Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti, are keen on snapping the right-back up in this summer transfer window.
The Italians had a great season under former boss Maurizio Sarri as they pushed Juventus to the hilt in the race for the Scudetto, but ended up falling short. With Sarri leaving the club in hope of getting the Chelsea job, Ancelotti was brought in by the Partenopei and the former Real and PSG manager is keen on raiding his former players for the youngster to provide backup for first choice right-back Elseid Hysaj.
Napoli just have Christian Maggio as the backup in the position, but the Italian’s contract with the club will run down in less than a month, leaving them short on numbers in the department. And Ancelotti sees the young Moroccan as a good addition to the squad.
Hakimi currently finds himself behind Carvajal and utility man Nacho Hernandez in the pecking order and with Zidane having left the club, following Real’s 13th Champions League triumph, the 19-year old’s limited game time could take a further hit as well, which might force him to consider a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
Currently on international duty with Morocco ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia, Hakimi’s contract with Los Blancos will run out at the end of the month and it remains to be seen if the club will offer him a new deal before then or let him leave on a free transfer.
