Napoli Chief Rules Out Move For Barcelona Midfielder

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Serie A giants not chasing Barca star.

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Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has moved to rule out a move for Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano, according to Football Italia.

The Argentine had emerged as a top target for the Serie A side in recent reports, with manager Rafael Benitez keen on working with him again after the pair enjoyed success together at Liverpool.

Mascherano has often been used in defence during his time at Barcelona, and it was also suggested that he could welcome the chance to play in his preferred midfield role under Benitez again.

However, De Laurentiis has put the speculation to bed with a clear statement that Napoli are not interested in signing the 29-year-old.

“Mascherano? I can rule that. We’re not interested in him,” he said.

Napoli could instead be in for the signing of Lyon midfielder and Arsenal target Maxime Gonalons, with De Laurentiis reported as having expressed an interest in the French international.

Gonalons has been with Lyon for his entire career so far, but his impressive displays look like earning him a move to a bigger club in the near future.

When asked about the possibility of signing the 24-year-old, De Laurentiis admitted that he is a player who could be of interest to his team.

“Gonalons? His is a profile that may be of interest to us,” he said.

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