Popovic’s Napoli Move Stumbles as Frosinone Assist Fails

Napoli have beaten off stiff competition to secure the signature of Matija Popovic. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder, previously with Partizan Belgrade, has completed a medical with his new club after emerging as a target for Milan, Bayern Munich, Bologna and Manchester City. “Napoli’s sports director, Maurizio Micheli, welcomed Popovic after his medical,” as reported by Corriere dello Sport.

Napoli was initially going to benefit from a loan agreement with Frosinone, who had volunteered to take on and develop the player during his first months in the Serie A. However, this strategy has hit a sudden snag. The Frosinone team, managed by Di Francesco, has exhausted its quota of non-EU players, prompting Napoli to find a new landing spot for Popovic.

Meanwhile, market whispers suggest a cooling of interest in Fiorentina’s Barak, while Fulham’s Lukic and Nottingham Forest’s Mangala’s stocks are on the rise. Despite his time at Torino, Fulham’s Lukic knows the Serie A league well. Mangala from Nottingham Forest, has agreed to a loan move with an option to buy. However, the final hurdle for Napoli is to convince the player to agree to the transfer.