Noa Lang may already have played his last match for Napoli, Voetbal International reports. The winger wanted to fight for his place under new head coach Massimiliano Allegri, but the club would rather let him leave.
Napoli paid PSV €25 million for Lang last summer, but his time in Italy has been anything but a clear success. The winger struggled to get on with then head coach Antonio Conte, and that led to a loan move to Galatasaray in the winter.
"How am I going to say this in a normal way... It didn’t click with the coach. Let’s leave it at that," Lang said at the time in an interview with ESPN. "I know that in the Netherlands people often think it’s down to me, but one day it will become known. I have a good relationship with almost everyone at the club. This political behaviour does not suit me."
His form picked up somewhat in Turkey, but Galatasaray still chose not to make the deal permanent. Lang then returned determined to fight for another chance at Napoli, only for the Italians to decide after a few weeks of pre-season that he is free to leave.
For a fixed fee of €25 million, Lang can be signed in any case, though Napoli are also open to another loan move. The Dutchman remains under contract until mid-2030.
So far, little is known about a possible next club for Lang. There has been contact with AS Roma, but they decided against a move. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini was not fully convinced.
Back in Belgium, there is strong hope that the winger could return. Lang perhaps enjoyed the most successful spell of his career at Club Brugge. Belgian media, however, also point to obstacles: Lang is reportedly earning around €2.5 to €2.8 million net per season at Napoli.