Ancelotti wanted Icardi for Insigne

By Football Italia staff

Carlo Ancelotti wanted Napoli to sign Mauro Icardi and sell Lorenzo Insigne last summer, reports La Stampa.

Ancelotti was sacked in the hours following a 4-0 win against Racing Genk that assured qualification to the Round of 16 in the Champions League, amidst reports of a breakdown in relationship between he and President Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Turin daily La Stampa speculates that Ancelotti wanted Inter striker Icardi last summer and had also wanted to offload captain Insigne.

Napoli had been linked with a move for Icardi throughout the summer, but it was reported that the Argentine was unenthusiastic, seeing it as a sideways step, and that if he were to leave Inter, it would only be for Juventus or Paris Saint-Germain.

In the end, Icardi left for PSG, leaving Napoli to sign Chucky Lozano from PSV Eindhoven.

Ancelotti seemingly also wanted to move Insigne on, feeling he didn’t fit into his tactical system.

La Stampa reports that Ancelotti also wanted a left winger, but got Eljif Elmas, a central midfielder, instead.

Rino Gattuso is set to replace Ancelotti on the Napoli bench.

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