Manolo Gabbiadini arrived at Napoli as one of the most exciting Italian prospects. However, under Maurizio Sarri the striker struggled to find consistent minutes, and was primarily used as a back-up. His agent, Silvio Pagliari, recently spoke to gianlucadimarzio.com in order to discuss how his transfer to Southampton came to be: "Interest from the English club went back six months. I privately spoke with Ross Wilson, the head of scouting, in London. It was a very positive encounter, but the economic requests from Napoli rendered any deal impossible. Furthermore, De Laurentiis viewed the player as unsellable. We met again last Wednesday. It was then that we found an agreement with Manolo, but we still had to reach an agreement with Napoli." The lack of an agreement with Napoli is what eventually lead to the deal being closed only an hour from the deadline.
A variety of clubs demonstrated interest in the Italian striker during this transfer window: "There was interest from Serie A for Manolo, but I never discussed this with De Laurentiis. This is because he was clear in stating that he would not evaluate any offers from Serie A. We did receive a very interesting offer from France, but Manolo and I agreed that the Premier League would be a better option. We then chose the club which showed the strongest desire. The other clubs wanted him on loan, but this was not a suitable situation: Manolo is ready for an international challenge and needs to be at the forefront," claimed Pagliari.
"Is Southampton a step backwards from Napoli? No, it is a step forward! Gabbiadini needs to play; the added responsibility is what's most important. Furthermore, the Premier League is the culmination of a dream he has had since his childhood. It is an incredible league, and was undoubtedly the best choice for everyone."
