As Inter prepare to face Napoli in Serie A after the World Cup break, it has been revealed that Partenopei coach Luciano Spalletti had wanted to sign midfielder Stanislav Lobotka for the Nerazzurri.
As reported in today’s newspaper edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Spalletti is a huge admirer of Lobotka and he has established himself as one of the coach’s key players this season, as Napoli sit at the top of the Serie A table and ready themselves to visit Inter on 4 January.
In the first game back after the winter break, Spalletti returns to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza after coaching Inter from 2017 until 2019, and the newspaper claims that he had pushed the club to sign Lobotka from Celta Vigo.
The Slovakia international ultimately joined Napoli in 2020, and after a slow start in which he was hampered by injuries and problems relating to his tonsils, has now become one of the Azzurri’s most reliable players.
Lobotka and Spalletti are now described as being inseparable and the coach is set to utilise the 28-year-old against Inter, whilst the player is preparing to sign a new contract at the club, running until 2028.
