Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, but Lazar Samardzic is apparently on the verge of a move to SSC Napoli. But nothing is certain yet – and certainly not in Samardzic’s case
In the summer, Lazar Samardzic had wanted to join Inter Milan, but the transfer came to nothing due to disputes between advisors and Samardzic’s father. Inter then decided against the transfer – and so the Serbian remained in Udine, where he still has a contract until 2026.
Now the next attempt to leave Friuli. Various Italian media outlets are reporting that Napoli want the 21-year-old for their midfield. The champions have a need for action there after Eljif Elmas left for RB Leipzig and Piotr Zielinski will apparently leave the club on a free transfer this summer
What does Napoli’s New Year greeting say?
The Berlin-born player is expected to fill the gap. He is said to cost €20 million plus bonuses and will receive a five-year contract that will earn him an annual salary of €2.5 million. Nothing has been officially confirmed yet – and especially with Samardzic’s story surrounding the failed Inter transfer, caution should be exercised. However, Napoli themselves fueled the rumors with a New Year’s greeting via social media:
This shows a player carrying a small child in his arms and standing with his back to the viewer. The player has the shirt number 24 and a hairstyle that bears a striking resemblance to Samardzic’s haircut. Samardzic also wears 24 at Udinese Calcio, while Jens Cajuste in Naples is a player with the same number who bears virtually no resemblance to the player in the picture, with neither skin tone nor hairstyle matching.
Open questions remain
There are still many questions. Among other things, whether Samardzic should transfer in the winter or not until the summer. One thing is clear: the former Germany U-21 international only sees Udinese Calcio as a springboard for his future career, something the attacker, who now plays for Serbia (5 caps), has never made a secret of.
Samardzic came to Udine from Leipzig in 2021 and has now made 76 appearances and scored 9 goals for the Zebras. In the current season, he has appeared in 17 of 18 Serie A matches, scoring two goals.
