Napoli keen on Folorunsho stay

Serie A champions Napoli are keen on retaining the services of midfielder, Michael Folorunsho, after he finishes his loan spell at Hellas Verona.

Folorunsho, 26, has been helping the Giallo Blu thrive despite their ongoing relegation battle as they’re currently 14th in the Italian topflight with two points away from safety.

Folorunsho has scored four goals and provided one assist after 26 league matches this season and also clinched the Serie A February Goal of The Month award.

Hellas Verona were winless in February, but the highlight of the month for them was when they played a 2-2 draw against 36-time Italian champions Juventus at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.

Eleven minutes into the first half, Folorunsho broke the deadlock with a Zinedine Zidane-esque volley from outside the box with his weaker foot into the top corner of Wojciech Szczesny’s goal, before Tijjani Noslin scored the second for the hosts.

Goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Adrien Rabiot completed the comeback for the Old Lady, but Folorunsho’s goal was too good to be swept under the carpet and was awarded the Goal of The Month in Serie A.

According to AreaNapoli, Folorunsho will return to Naples at the end of the 2023/24 season and Napoli plan to keep him in the first team next season.

Born in Italy to Nigerian parents, Folorunsho is eligible to represent the Super Eagles, and although his nationality is Italian, he hasn’t played for the Gli Azzurri at any level.

He joined Napoli in 2019 after arriving from Virtus Francavilla but hasn’t made any appearance for them, going on loan to Calabria, Calcio, Bari – where he scored nine goals in 32 games, and now Hellas Verona.

Folorunsho was invited by Roberto Mancini to the Italian European Championship camp for the first time in 2022 and is also being scouted by current Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti.