Lorenzo Insigne has told Undici how Rafa Benitez ‘completed’ him as a player, amid reports the Everton manager wants to bring the Napoli forward to Goodison Park in a free transfer.
Benitez coached Insigne at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium for two-years between 2013 and 2015. The Azzurri finished third and fifth in Serie A under the Spaniard and lifted the 2014 Coppa Italia. They also reached the semi-final of the Europa League in 2014/15.
Insigne featured 79 times under Benitez before the 61-year-old left Napoli to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid. He also scored 11 goals and offered 17 assists in all competitions.
Insigne hails Benitez impact on his career
Insigne now looks back on Everton boss Benitez’s time at Napoli fondly for helping to round out his game. Before the Spaniard took over from Walter Mazzarri, he only considered how to attack the goal. But Benitez then helped him to develop when defending the Azzurri net.
“[Zdenek] Zeman was decisive, the first to believe in me,” Insigne said, while discussing the managers who helped shape him. “Benitez completed me; I had always thought that for me football was just attacking.
“Football with [Maurizio] Sarri is joy. I have had a lot of fun in three-years, we are left with the disappointment of not having won the Scudetto. On Ancelotti, it is not true that we did not take [to each other]. We had different ideas, yes, on matters of the field.
“I owe a lot to [Gennaro] Gattuso. After the years of Ancelotti so-so, he was good at making me retrace my steps and re-motivate me. [Luciano] Spalletti is a strong personality; he has restored awareness of our strength.”
Benitez eying reunion with free transfer for Napoli captain
Benitez also remembers his time with Insigne well, it seems, as the Everton boss is keen to reunite with the winger on a free transfer next summer once his Napoli contract expires.
That’s according to Tuttosport, who reported last month that Everton were leading the race for Insigne’s transfer. The Toffees can meet his demand for a €6m-a-year (£98k-a/w) salary, plus a €7m (£6m) signing-on bonus. But several rival suitors have since entered the picture.
Reports by Calciomercato.it cite Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and West Ham as rival Premier League suitors. Additionally, Corriere dello Sport noted this week that he is still yet to agree new terms as Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is slow to up his offer.
Previously, Sky Italia noted Napoli offered Insigne €3.5m-a-year (£57k-a/w) plus €1.5m (£1.3m) in hard-to-reach bonuses. He currently earns €5m-a-year (£81k-a-/w) in Naples.
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