Napoli launch £25.6m bid as Brighton consider midfielder sale
Napoli Table £25.6m Offer for Brighton Midfielder Matt O'Riley
Napoli lead pursuit of Brighton midfielder
Brighton's commitment to strategic recruitment and development continues to draw attention from Europe's elite. According to Sky Sports, Napoli have made a formal offer of £25.6 million (€30 million) for Matt O'Riley, placing them at the front of a growing queue for the midfielder's signature.
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Negotiations are underway, with Brighton reportedly open to a deal if their valuation is met. While the club still consider O'Riley 'an important part of their project,' the Seagulls are understood to be realistic about the financial opportunities presented by such bids.
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Serie A clubs Atalanta and Roma are also tracking O'Riley, with the latter's new manager Gian Piero Gasperini a long-term admirer. But Napoli are in pole position, pending the sale of André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia.
Premier League midfield reshuffle continues
Napoli's midfield now includes familiar Premier League names in Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne, with Stanislav Lobotka still part of the rotation. O'Riley would add depth and flexibility to a squad looking to retain domestic and European competitiveness.
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For Brighton, the situation is delicate. Losing another key player to a European powerhouse may be seen as inevitable, yet it still stings for a club striving to establish a lasting top-flight presence.
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For Brighton fans, this is yet another frustrating reminder of the club's place in the football food chain. Matt O'Riley represents everything Brighton have done right in recent years — smart scouting, patient development, and a clear tactical role within a progressive system. But if he's sold now, it'll feel like another promising chapter ripped from the book just as it was getting interesting.
The timing is particularly painful. After a season of inconsistency, what the team needs is stability, not more turnover. O'Riley offers a rare mix of vision and control, someone who can dictate the tempo in games where Brighton too often drifted. Watching him go to a Napoli midfield already packed with talent like De Bruyne and Lobotka will be a difficult pill to swallow.
Yes, £25.6 million is a significant sum, but how much is continuity worth? The club may benefit financially, but the cost to morale and progress could be far steeper. Fans want to build — not rebuild — every summer.
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