Report Napoli stall David deal over Conte tactical demands

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated May 29, 2025 8:31 AM ET

Napoli have agreed personal terms with Jonathan David, but Sportitalia transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà claims they are stalling because Antonio Conte has different demands.

The centre-forward is available as a free agent after letting his contract with Lille run down and had been approached by numerous clubs, including Juventus, Inter, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Barcelona.

Multiple sources including the Corriere dello Sport stated that he has chosen Napoli, with wages, bonuses and agent fees totalling over €30m.

Napoli taking time over David deal

However, now Sportitalia pundit Pedullà reports that the Partenopei are stalling for 48 hours because the agreement was made assuming that Conte would walk away.

Now that he has seemingly changed his mind and will remain, the tactical requirements are very different, seeking a tall and powerful figure who can do the job of Romelu Lukaku.

Conte has other vision of Napoli strikers

That points towards Parma’s Ange-Yoan Bonny or Lorenzo Lucca of Udinese, who would also be considerably cheaper all things considered.

Napoli already have Kevin De Bruyne locked down as a free agent from Manchester City, so they are trying to structure the team in Conte’s image for a season that will include the Champions League and Supercoppa Italiana commitments.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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