Hirving Lozano has been urged to avoid a move to the likes of Everton or Newcastle United, with former Mexico international Jared Borgetti telling the £34 million winger to stay and fight for his place at Napoli, while speaking to ESPN.
While the chance to reunite with Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park must be tempting for a forward who has made just eight Serie A starts all season, even a club with Everton’s size and stature would represent something of a backward step (Mattino).
After all, while the Toffees are limping to a mid-table finish after a trio of performances which will have supporters fretting about a return of the dark old days of the Koeman or Allardyce era, Napoli look set to qualify for the Europa League.
They are sixth at present, two points clear of a rejuvinated AC Milan.
Newcastle have also held talks with Lozano’s agent, Mino Riaola, to enquire about a potential £25 million deal, according to AreaNapoli in June.
But neither they, nor West Ham (AreaNapoli), will be heading to the continent for anything other than a brief pre-season trip over the next few months.
“The easiest thing is to be comfortable and for Napoli to sell him after the season. He’d have another opportunity in another club in which the coach has asked for him and he’d have more chances to play, but that’s falling into comfort,” former Bolton forward Borgetti says.
“The other [option] is to stay, show yourself, the coach and the fans that you are a player they can trust in, that you are worth what they paid and can overcome adversity.
“You’ll come out of it better in all aspects, in terms of character, decision-making and in terms of football, but it’ll depend on him.
“From my point of view if I was him, I’d stay, but it depends on the player.”
Lozano appeared to have hit rock bottom when he was bombed out of training a matter of weeks ago, infuriating Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso with an apparent lack of effort.
And if there is one man you don’t want to infuriate, it’s this drooling terrier of a man.
Since then, however, Lozano has got back into Gattuso’s good books, won the Coppa Italia and scored twice in the Italian top flight. Maybe there is some life in his Napoli career after all.
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