Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis is ready to sell some top stars as a result of his lockdown row with the squad, according to reports from Gazzetta dello Sport. Several Napoli players rejected the opportunity to return to the lockdown, which has culminated in threats of fines, the potential dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti, and key players such as Dries Mertens leaving.<\/p>\n
After a 2-1 league loss to Roma last weekend that saw the southerners slip to seventh in Serie A, De Laurentiis directed the team to be held in a training camp. However, when Ancelotti disagreed with the lockdown, all players returned home following the 1-1 Champions League draw with RB Salzburg. According to Gazzetta dello Sport<\/i><\/a>, <\/span>De\u00a0<\/span>Laurentiis, in fact, <\/span>wanted\u00a0<\/span>to give<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Ancelotti the boot as a result of that. Eventually, he was talked out of it by his lawyers.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe responsibility to decide on ordering days in a training retreat lies with coach Carlo Ancelotti,\u201d the club said in a statement Wednesday. The club also threatened action against the players.<\/p>\n After\u00a0<\/span>no\u00a0<\/span>wins\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>their\u00a0<\/span>last\u00a0<\/span>five\u00a0<\/span>matches, <\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>Partenopei\u00a0<\/span>are\u00a0<\/span>in full-blown<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>crisis\u00a0<\/span>mode. <\/span>The\u00a0<\/span>team\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>now\u00a0<\/span>planning\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>mass\u00a0<\/span>exodus,\u00a0<\/span>beginning\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>star\u00a0<\/span>Dries\u00a0<\/span>Mertens.<\/span><\/p>\n Gazzetta dello Sport<\/i><\/a> says Dries\u00a0<\/span>Mertens will likely be one of the many <\/span>stars who will face the exit door in January, as Inter Milan are keeping eyes on the situation. It is reported that the 32-year-old Belgian forward is not close to reaching an agreement with De Laurentiis for a contract renewal, with his leadership of the squad\u2019s protest about the training retreat pushing a potential deal even further away.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the report adds that Mertens is a good friend of Inter striker Romelu Lukaku, who may convince him to join and help the Nerazzurri keep up the pressure on the Bianconeri in the race for the league title. In\u00a0<\/span>addition, Corriere dello Sport<\/em> <\/a><\/span>confirmed it,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>added\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>Belgian\u00a0<\/span>has, in fact, <\/span>agreed\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>join\u00a0<\/span>Inter,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>but as a free agent when his<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Napoli contract <\/span>expires <\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>the <\/span>summer.<\/span><\/p>\n The door will also be shown to Spanish winger Jose Callejon, who has drawn attention from China, who would be able to offer the Spaniard a lucrative deal. Club captain Lorenzo Insigne is also thought to have reached his final Napoli days, as well as Kalidou Koulibaly, who is a long-term target<\/a> for Manchester United<\/a>.<\/p>\n Main Photo<\/p>\nPresident Willing to Part With Stars<\/h3>\n
Not Just Dries Mertens<\/h3>\n