Luciano Spalletti is pushing to sign Stanislav Lobotka and bring the Napoli midfielder to Juventus, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, with the 67-year-old coach reportedly having targeted the 31-year-old Slovak for some time.
The tactical logic is straightforward: Spalletti wants Lobotka to operate as the deep-lying regista, which would free Manuel Locatelli to push into more advanced positions and function as the No. 8 he is best suited to be. Lobotka won the 2022-23 Scudetto under Spalletti at Napoli, meaning the coach knows precisely how the Slovak functions within his system.
Release clause and contract situation
Lobotka’s Napoli contract carries a €25 million release clause, though that figure applies exclusively to clubs outside of Serie A. Any Italian side – Juventus included – must pay an additional €5 million to bring Napoli to the negotiating table, making the effective cost €30 million. His current Napoli deal is fetching him a gross salary of €3.59 million per year.
At either figure, Gazzetta’s framing is that Lobotka represents a bargain for a club seeking a genuine ball-playing anchor in midfield. Weakening a direct domestic rival in Napoli in the process would be a secondary benefit Juventus could hardly ignore.
Carnevali holds the key
The decision ultimately lands with Juventus CEO Giovanni Carnevali, who has already shown a willingness to move decisively in the transfer market since taking charge at the Continassa. Carnevali’s track record in negotiations will be tested here given Napoli’s reluctance to strengthen a Serie A rival directly.
Juventus have been active across multiple positions this window, with Carnevali also working on a permanent deal for Randal Kolo Muani as part of a broader squad rebuild under Spalletti. Adding Lobotka would give that rebuild a genuine midfield spine – provided Carnevali can find an agreement with Napoli before the window narrows.