Reported Everton and West Ham United target Nikola Maksimovic should be dropped by Napoli, former Partenopei star Salvatore Bagni has told Radio Marte, via TuttoNapoli.
With his contract expiring and future shrouded in uncertainty, you could understand if the Serbia international felt distracted.
He certainly looked distracted as Napoli suffered a seventh defeat of the season – and a third of 2021 – at Genoa on Saturday.
Maksimovic gave away possession in the build-up to Goran Pandev’s opener and, with Gennaro Gattuso’s job hanging by a thread, the experienced centre-back may have unwittingly hammered a nail into his manager’s coffin.
According to Il Mattino, Maksimovic has admirers at West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham, while Carlo Ancelotti, who worked with him at Stadio San Paolo, could spark a reunion at Goodison Park.
And Bagni, who made more than 100 Serie A appearances for Napoli in the 1980s, thinks Maksimovic should be dropped until his future is resolved.
“Maksimovic? I agree players with expiring contracts shouldn’t play,” Bagni says.
“I don’t want to give particular blame (for Genoa’s first goal) but the transition was very simple.”
West Ham were willing to pay £23 million for the former Torino and Red Star Belgrade stopper in the summer.
According to Calciomercato, they could soon get him for free with Napoli unwilling to meet Maksimovic’s demands of a new, £40,000-a-week deal.
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