Bologna midfield prodigy Mattias Svanberg has had the eyes of the top clubs on him ever since he first made his mark in Serie A back in the 2018/19 season, and Napoli are the latest touted to go after him. The 23-year-old Swede has witnessed a huge developmental curve since then, going on to make 123 appearances so far for the Rossoblù.
He now has the undivided attention of Azzurri sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, who has already made his first move. As per Corriere dello Sport, the club is eyeing direct replacement for the outbound Fabian Ruiz, who has just one year left on his contract, and Diego Demme, who sees his future elsewhere. Svanberg’s profile is highly regarded by the Partenopei, as it is understood the executive approached him headfirst through an exploratory call last week.
Bologna have so far failed to tie Svanberg down to a contract extension, with the central midfielder entering the final year of his five-year deal ahead of the 2022/23 season. Taking that into consideration, the Emilian side intend to cash in at least €13M from his transfer – a price tag Napoli are far from offering. The Partenopei’s first proposal has arrived at €7M.
Bologna’s newly-appointed director Giovanni Sartori has no intention of parting ways with his prized player, but Giuntoli could very well surprise the Rossoblà with double the initial offer.
Milan, Juventus, Inter and Atalanta have all expressed admiration for his skills and talent. Apart from them, Southampton and Tottenham are two other clubs interested in the youngster, reinforcing his wish to play in the Premier League.
