Despite losing the Argentine to Juventus over the summer, Napoli now have a more complete team after reinvesting much of the money from his sale on the squad.
Gonzalo Higuaín’s departure was met with plenty of anger from Partenopei fans, with some going as far as burning Napoli shirts with his name on the back, in a show of frustration at the apparent lack of loyalty the 28-year-old displayed to the Stadio San Paolo side.
In truth, it was a move that was always likely to happen this summer following the former Real Madrid man’s goal-scoring exploits during the 2015-16 campaign. Higuain broke Gunnar Nordahl’s long-standing record of 35 league goals in a single season which had stood untested for 66 years.
A final-day hat-trick against already relegated Frosinone saw the man known as Il Pipita eclipse the record and earn himself legend status at the Stadio San Paolo for a brief period prior to his move to the Bianconeri.
€90 million was the reported sum Juve parted with to get their man, and in fairness, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis did well to garner such a figure for a 28-year-old.
Financially, it was a sound move on the part of the Neopolitan club, however in sporting terms it represented a bitter blow to Napoli’s chances of challenging Juventus for this season’s Serie A title, as well as completing a successful European campaign in the UEFA Champions League.
It is almost impossible for the Azzurri to find a replacement on par with a man who netted 71 times for them in 104 league outings. However, in signing Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik, De Laurentiis and Napoli have done an astute job in, at the very least, filling a good portion of the void left following the Argentine’s departure.
Milik netted 21 times in 31 league games at Eredivisie runners-up Ajax last season and scored 11 in 21 the season before whilst on loan with the Amsterdam giants. The striker impressed for Poland alongside Robert Lewandowski at Euro 2016 before being knocked out by eventual winners Portugal.
The former Leverkusen man’s poaching ability is similar to Higuaín’s in the fact that if the ball is played across the six-yard box, the Pole will usually be in the right place to tuck the ball home. Also, the 22-year-old boasts superb technique and displays calmness and composure in front of goal, also much like Il Pipita.
€35 million for Milik is somewhat of a gamble, however it is one that is highly likely to pay off, and he will be expected to contribute plenty of goals for the Partenopei this campaign, having already slotted a brace in his starting debut for the club in a 4-2 win over AC Milan.
Further back on the pitch, Napoli also invested the Higuaín money wisely in the midfield department, bringing in fellow Pole and highly-rated midfielder Piotr Zielinski, the 19-year-old Amadou Diawara, Croatian starlet Marko Rog (on loan) and Emanuele Giaccherini.
Zielinski was heavily targeted by Jürgen Klopp this summer in a bid to boost Liverpool’s midfield ranks. The 22-year-old was a key figure at Empoli last season, making 35 league appearances.
The playmaker’s stock has risen to the point where former Empoli boss Marco Giampaolo believes the Pole “has everything it takes to become a great midfielder”, which is why the reported €16 million fee Napoli parted with to sign him from Udinese appears to be a shrewd piece of business.
Likewise, Diawara turned out in Serie A last season and impressed with his tenacity and energy in the centre of the park for Bologna. The Guinea-born midfielder has the talent to push Jorginho for a starting role at the base of Maurizio Sarri’s midfield trio, and will at least provide cover to the Azzurri’s midfield ranks for a similar price that was forked out to sign Zielinski.
Much like the aforementioned pair, Rog is a young midfielder with the potential to shine at the Stadio San Paolo. The Croatian impressed at Euro 2016 and was instrumental to Dinamo Zagreb’s qualification for the UEFA Champions League this season, scoring three goals in six qualifying appearances. He signs on loan with the option to buy for a reported €12.5 million at the end of the season.
Lastly, Giaccherini was one of Italy’s best in an impressive Euro 2016 campaign. Usually a winger, the 31-year-old starred in a more central role in the summer and arrives at the Stadio San Paolo for just €1.4 million.
The talented quartet add depth and quality to Napoli’s midfield, and are all capable of pushing current starters, Jorginho, Allan and Marek Hamšík. With the Partenopei placed in a winnable Champions League group alongside Dynamo Kyiv, Benfica and Besiktas, the current crop of midfielders at Sarri’s disposal should overwhelm all in their path, barring a potentially difficult Benfica side.
In defence, meanwhile, Empoli stalwart Lorenzo Tonelli arrives for €10 million whilst highly rated Serb Nikola Maksimovic arrives in a €5 million loan deal with the option to purchase for €20 million.
So yes, it may be difficult to overcome the heartache that was left following Il Pipita’s move to the Bianconeri, however with the funds collected from the sale the Neopolitans now have a stronger and more complete squad than last campaign.
A hugely successful season beckons for Sarri’s side, with arguably the second best group of players in Serie A and a fairly simple Champions League group to navigate.
The 2016-17 season may be a positive one, despite Higuaín’s departure.
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