Barcelona, Manchester City Battle For Napoli Midfielder

Stanislav Lobotka has continued to shine under Antonio Conte and continues to be on the radar on major clubs, for instance, Barcelona and Manchester City. The Blaugrana have been monitoring for a few years, Mundo Deportivo relays (via OneFootball).

The Sky Blues have begun eyeing him lately after losing Rodri to a season-ending knee injury. The English champions have set sights on Samuele Ricci too. The interest is reciprocated by the Torino midfielder.

Napoli are in the driver’s set concerning the future of Lobotka. He’s under contract until 2027 with an option for a one extra year. His agent has occasionally hinted at a move to other sides. Though, it has never been particularly close since he’s been essential in recent seasons.

The Partenopei paid €23M to acquire the maestro from Celta Vigo in January 2020. He became a fixture in 2021/2022. He raised the level of his game to elite levels with Luciano Spalletti on the bench. The midfielder has racked up 172 appearances, scoring twice and providing 3 assists. He has 61 caps and 4 gals with Slovakia.

Our Take on Lobotka, Manchester City, and Barcelona

He’d be perfect to replace Rodri, but he’s about as untouchable as it gets. In standard situations, a large offer from a player who’s pushing 30 would be evaluated, as it’d be the last chance to profit on him, but the Azzurri haven’t paid much attention to their finances since hiring Antonio Conte, who’d surely veto his departure. The player would have to come out and declare his intention to leave for something to happen. He might at some point down the line after a long spell, but it’d be a stunner if it happened anytime soon