Giovanni Manna has made Napoli's January position plain. Napoli are preparing to act, but G. Varela is only one name on the list and no move has been made for him yet.

Napoli's January message

Speaking to A Bola and Sky Sport Italia, Manna said Napoli are ready to correct mistakes if they need to. He also stressed that the club are keeping their options open, rather than pushing one target above all others.

"If we made any mistake, we are ready to intervene. There is total availability from De Laurentiis, who never took a step back, as was seen in the summer 2025 market, when we invested. We may have spent badly in certain circumstances, but we have clear ideas," he told A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese.

Manna repeated the same point to Sky Sport Italia: "We have clear ideas to try to improve the squad. In January we will be ready."

Why Varela is not a simple deal

The Varela part of the story is more guarded. Manna called him a good player, but said Napoli already have Hojlund, Lucca and Giovane, who can play as a centre-forward. He also said it is difficult for Monza to let go of a player like that, and that Napoli have not made any move with anyone.

The numbers explain why the name keeps coming up. Varela has scored nine goals in ten league appearances for Monza, and he has 10 Serie A appearances overall. He also has 11 goals in 11 appearances across all competitions, a return that has put him firmly on the radar.

Benfica sold him this summer for two million euros, with 20 percent of a future capital gain and a right of first refusal. A Bola says Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter and Tottenham have also entered the race, which is part of why Napoli are treating the situation carefully.

Monza's side of the deal is not exactly comfortable either. They sit 18th in Serie A with seven points from 11 matches, but Manna still made clear that a sale would not be straightforward.

Napoli's message is not that Varela is off the table. It is that January is shaping up as a window for selective fixes, and Varela is one candidate among several rather than a move that is already underway.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →