Napoli and Juventus are both interested in Issa Doumbia, a 23-year-old Italian central midfielder who plays for Sporting Lisbon. The player's agent, Cheikh Sadibou, revealed that Napoli had called him. The agent noted that he had previously spoken with Manna, who had wanted the player when Manna was the sporting director at Juventus Next Gen. Sadibou clarified that these conversations did not progress beyond informal chats and no offers were made. Doumbia has a contract with Sporting Lisbon until 2031 that includes an 80 million euro release clause. This figure is considered unaffordable for Napoli and any other Italian club.
Napoli's strategy is to first gain the player's approval and then open negotiations with the Portuguese club to reduce the price by at least half. Juventus is reportedly considering a similar approach, which could create a market challenge with Napoli. The two clubs are already competing for Gustavo Varela. Doumbia joined Sporting in July 2026, has earned 5 caps for Italy, and has a current market value of €20.00M according to Transfermarkt.
