Napoli could miss out on Danilo as alternative track opens up | OneFootball

While Napoli have been considered as the ultimate favourites to sign departing Juventus captain Danilo, the operation is reportedly at risk as a new suitor has emerged.

The 33-year-old’s time in Turin has apparently reached its final chapter after enduring a tough first half of the season under the watch of Thiago Motta.

The Italian Brazilian manager dropped the club captain to the bench at the start of the season, preferring to rely on younger profiles like Nicolo Savona at right-back and Federico Gatti and Pierre Kalulu at the heart of the defensive line. He then had a torrid run in October following Gleison Bremer’s injury, which seemingly convinced Motta and the management to offload him at the first opportunity.

So instead of waiting for the defender’s contract to expire in June, Juventus are working on ending their collaboration with Danilo. This would allow them to chop his relatively high salary off the wage bill, while the player would be able to revive his career elsewhere.

In recent weeks, the Brazilian’s transfer to Napoli has been portrayed as a foregone conclusion. Former Juventus sporting director Giovanni Manna has been keen to reunite with the player, and already acquired Antonio Conte’s greenlight to finalise the operation.

Nevertheless, a call from could scupper the Partenopei’s plans.

According to Il Corriere dello Sport via JuventusNews24, Napoli are struggling to find an agreement with the Bianconeri who are apparently reluctant to terminate the player’s contract as it would allow their direct rivals to sign him for free.

On the other hand, Flamengo have emerged on the scene, and they’re reportedly aiming to strike an accord with the Bianconeri who would certainly favor the foreign option.

For his part, Danilo could be tempted to return to his home country after playing his football in Europe for the past 13 years.