‘Pushed to leave’: Director says reported Tottenhan and Everton target wants to go

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Reported Everton and Tottenham Hotspur target Arkadiusz Milik has his heart set on leaving Napoli and it was his decision not to sign a new contract, sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has told One Football.

The £23 million-rated striker only has himself to blame if he fails to make a single appearance between now and the turn of the year.

Milik’s refusal to put pen to paper on a new contract, coupled with Napoli’s failure to find a buyer, means the Poland international is unlikely to kick a ball again in 2020.

He has been left out of Gennaro Gattuso’s Europa League squad and has yet to make a single Serie A appearance this season, with Victor Osimhen arriving as his £63 million successor.

Tuttomercatoweb believes Everton or Tottenham could come to Milik’s rescue in January – but that is far from certain.

After all, much depends on whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin can maintain a stunning run of form at Goodison Park – or whether Carlos Vinicius can make an impression at Spurs after arriving on loan from Benfica.

“We offered Milik a renewal several times,” Giuntoli explains, setting out Napoli’s stance.

“He never wanted to sign and always pushed to leave, so naturally we had to look elsewhere. It wasn’t a financial decision, it was a personal one for him.”

Milik was valued at £23 million over the summer but his price tag is likely to dip dramatically in a few weeks’ time given his contract will expire in July (Gazzetta dello Sport).

The former Ajax striker, who worked with Carlo Ancelotti at the Stadio San Paulo, has scored 34 goals in the past two seasons combined.