Prem teams on alert as Hamsik’s father sounds out Napoli warning
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It has been widely regarded that Marek Hamsik was pretty much set for life at Napoli, but comments from his father this week have cast clouds over his son’s future. Naturally these have sparked the Premier League and Europe’s biggest clubs into action.
Hamsik Snr has placed the ball very much in Napoli’s court, with what appears to be a not-so-subtle drive to bag his son a new contract.
Richard Hamsik has been quoted as saying: “In Marek’s case, everything has to start from what he feels.”
“He’s always said that he’s tied to Napoli, he loves the club and he’d like to retire there. Whether that actually happens isn’t certain though.”
He added: “If they’re willing to value Marek as he deserves, he’ll stay at Napoli. If not we’ll have to think about other offers.”
So the message seems fairly clear. Napoli must offer their star man an improved deal or risk losing him. But who to?
German giants Bayern Munich have been quickly linked with the Slovakian, who made sure he was still on everyone’s radar with a stunning effort for his country versus Russia at this summer’s European Championships.
The leading trio of Premier League contenders for the 28-year-old’s signature appear to be Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
It’s not hard to envisage Hamsik playing alongside the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez at the Emirates, while a partnership with Eden Hazard could prove unstoppable under Antonio Conte at Chelsea.
And then there’s Pep Guardiola at Man City, a man looking to establish his own stamp on life at the Etihad, so all in all, we could be looking at one of the biggest bidding wars of the summer.
It’s not the first time the elder Hamsik has sparked such comments, but each time he does, Napoli feel a little more pressure to maintain a hold on their star player, with Premier League big boys ready to pounce.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
