Daniel Farke’s Leeds United, it seems, are not the only top-of-the-table club facing criticism for their January business.
While the failure to bring in a centre-forward, a number ten or a new left-back left some sections of the Elland Road fanbase fearing a repeat of last season’s play-off final heartbreak – Leeds failed to bring in Cameron Archer or Adam Armstrong, while Emi Buendia joined Bayer Leverkusen instead – Napoli’s lofty position in the Serie A table has not shielded the Partenopeni from scrutiny either.
Then again, that is to be expected when Napoli sell star man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain – the one-time Leeds United target exiting for £58 million – while replacing him with a loanee in Noah Okafor who struggled to make his mark at Serie A rivals AC Milan.
Kvaratskhelia produced an eye-catching debut on his first PSG outing over the weekend.
On Monday night, however, it was another player who exited the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona who showed Antonio Conte and co what they were missing.
Elia Caprile shines as former Leeds United goalkeeper highlights Napoli error
Now, it’s fair to say Elia Caprile’s switch to Cagliari did not create quite so much debate as the deal which took 2023 Serie A Player of the Year Kvaratskhelia to Paris.
Formerly a reserve goalkeeper at Elland Road, Caprile only managed four league appearances for Napoli after all. But it is not the decision to loan him out that has sparked plenty of hand-wringing. Caprile needed games, and Cagliari can provide.
No, it was the decision to include an option-to-buy clause worth just shy of £7 million in his contract.
“The right of redemption for Caprile granted to Cagliari is another of the inexplicable own goals of this Napoli window,” was the reaction of reporter Marco Azzi
A reaction fuelled by the Verona-born 23-year-old’s outstanding performance against Lazio on the final night of the winter market. Elia Caprile impressed on his Cagliari debut against AC Milan a few weeks back, but this was a performance at another level entirely.
Though helpless to prevent Lazio walking away from Sardinia with all three points, Caprile produced three outstanding reflex saves to deny Alessio Romagnoli, Mattia Zaccagni and Gustav Isaksen as relegation-threatened Cagliari restricted the visitors to just two goals.
Napoli loanee ‘immense’ as Cagliari frustrate Lazio
He was, to quote Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, nothing short of ‘immense’, pulling of four ‘prodigious’ saves as he kept Lazio at bay almost single-handedly. Another outlet describe Caprile as performing ‘miracles’ on the Unipol Domus turf.
Speaking of miracles, Cagliari may need a few more of those if they are to avoid a return to Serie B.
“He is showing constant growth and can grow more,” Cagliari coach Davide Nicola says of his new number one, reunited with Caprile after they worked together at Empoli during another loan spell in 2023/24.
“I am happy with Caprile’s debut, he has functional characteristics for our game. I know him well and my players know him well. He will have to show what he is worth. He has ambition and has the characteristics to become very good.
“For our game he is functional, not only with his feet. For a team that has to keep a lower block in certain games, when you have a goalkeeper who helps you, it is a big help.”
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