New Napoli boss Rafa Benitez is hoping to bring another Liverpool favourite to the club, following the loan deal for Pepe Reina…
Napoli are looking to bring Liverpool’s 28-year-old Slovakian centre-half Martin Skrtel to the club, following their loan deal for Reds stopper Pepe Reina, reports The Daily Star.
The Italian side are willing to part with up to £7m for the stopper.
The no-nonsense defender struggled to adapt to Brendan Rodgers’ passing brand of football, as his limited technical attributes meant he found it difficult to play the ball out from the back.
Liverpool have brought in Kolo Toure on a free transfer from Manchester City, who would be far more comfortable in this role. Andre Wisdom is also progressing well, and the club have been repeatedly linked to Kyriakos Papadopolous
Such a deal for Skrtel to leave has already been mooted at length over the close season, with Skrtel’s agent Karol Csonto telling Italian radio station Radio CRC last month: “Obviously Napoli know Martin well, but there cannot be any contact between us and them if they do not first reach an agreement with Liverpool.
“Between Martin Skrtel and Rafa Benitez is a professional relationship that has gone on from the years they spent together at Liverpool.”
Benitez brought Skrtel to Anfield in January 2008 from Zenit St. Petersburg in a £6.5m deal, and the Slovakian has since made over 150 appearances for the Reds.
He would join Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon, Raul Albiol and Pepe Reina at the new look Italian club should they make an attractive proposal to Liverpool.
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