Gustavo Varela has taken Serie A by storm since joining Monza and is currently tussling for the top of the ‘capocannoniere’ chart with Antonio Raimondo and Donyell Malen, and multiple teams, especially Napoli and Arsenal, have begun pursuing him, La Gazzetta dello Sport relays.

He has bagged six goals in league play already, adding one assist and a brace in the Coppa Italia. The Brianzoli paid just €2M to acquire him, beating to the punch Venezia, Parma, Hamburger, and Paris FC.

While Varela will likely spend the entire season at Monza, Napoli could try to add him during the winter. The Partenopei aren’t satisfied with Lorenzo Lucca and are looking to offload him again after sending him to Nottingham Forest in the second half of last season. They acquired Giovane from Verona to replace him at the time. He has been utilized more as a winger by Massimiliano Allegri.

Benfica have started regretting the sale, but they don’t have a buyback clause, Gianluca Di Marzio reports. Instead, they have the right to match any offers from other sides. The call would be in the player’s hands at that point. They are also owed 20 percent of the future profit.

Our Take on Varela and Napoli

He’s been splendid so far and, beyond his nose for goals, his involvement in the build-up and shiftiness also stand out, making him a very intriguing prospect. He could contribute right away as a super-sub at a big club. The offer would have to be mammoth for Monza to consider it in January. Napoli are in a pickle and need a deputy who could relieve Rasmus Hojlund without a giant drop-off. However, Massimiliano Allegri has worked better with other types of strikers.

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