Napoli have reportedly stepped up their attempts to land Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United, although the two clubs are said to be some way apart when it comes to their valuation of the Argentina international.
Garnacho, 20, is Man United's leading goalscorer this season, finding the back of the net on eight occasions in 30 appearances in all competitions, in addition to providing five assists.
However, he has found it difficult to secure regular starts since Ruben Amorim's arrival as head coach, with the youngster being asked to operate as an inside forward in a 3-4-3 formation.
The majority of Garnacho's best work comes as a wide forward, and there are doubts whether he will ever become a key player in Amorim's formation, while Man United are willing to listen to all offers for their homegrown talents, including Kobbie Mainoo, due to the circumstances surrounding PSR.
Napoli are on the verge of selling Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain and are believed to have identified Garnacho as their leading target despite also being linked with his teammate Marcus Rashford.
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Napoli 'working on a move' for Garnacho
According to The Independent, Napoli are working on a move for Garnacho, who has signalled that he would be interested in making the switch to the Italian side before the end of the January transfer window.
However, while Napoli are hoping to pay in the region of €38m (£32m), it is understood that Man United would want £70m (£59m) for the attacker, with the two clubs therefore some way apart when it comes to a fee.
Napoli would not be able to sign Garnacho without a major sale this month, but the expected exit of Kvaratskhelia will put them in a position to complete what would be a standout January transfer.
Garnacho has scored 23 goals and registered 14 assists in 116 appearances for Man United in all competitions, including 13 goals and seven assists in 76 appearances in the Premier League.
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Amorim has said that Garnacho "needs to play better inside"
Speaking ahead of Thursday's Premier League clash with Southampton, Amorim said that Garnacho "needs to play better inside", with the forward still getting used to his system.
"That is clear, he has talent," said Amorim. "He needs to learn to play a little bit in a different position. He needs to play better inside.
"He improved a lot in the recovering position, when he doesn't have the ball, but, doing that, sometimes he's not in the right place to make transitions, like he was in the past, because I prefer to defend and then build up with all the team to make the final third.
"So he's finding the best way to play in this system. He's improving, during training. So he started the last game [at the Emirates Stadium], let's see tomorrow."
Garnacho was brought in for a start against Arsenal in the FA Cup last time out and provided the assist for Bruno Fernandes to send the 20-time English champions ahead at the Emirates Stadium.
Matt Law
