Newcastle forward Ayoze Perez has recently been linked with a move to Napoli, according to the Northern Echo, leaving the Magpies with a potentially difficult situation to contend with.
Nobody could criticise Perez for being tempted to pursue a move to Napoli, should the speculation linking him with a move to the Serie A giants have turned his head, given the stature of the club.
Napoli have arguably been the second-best club in Italy for the last three or four season’s, with Pep Guardiola praising them as one of the best attacking side’s he has ever faced in 2017.
And for a club of the Partenopei’s reputation to be considering a reported £20million move for the Spaniard is testament to his recent form in a Newcastle shirt.
So what do the Magpies do should Napoli come forward with an offer for Perez?
The obvious thing to do would be to offer the 25-year-old a new contract as a reward for his goalscoring form which has helped steer Newcastle clear of relegation, and to bump up the asking price.
Rafael Benitez is unlikely to want to sell one of his key men, and a new contract would be the best way to either tie him down to a longer deal or give Newcastle the power to demand a higher fee for his services.
Player power is everything in football, however, and should Perez look to force a move away then the situation becomes slightly harder.
The Spaniard has recently stated his desire for a new challenge at some point in the future, the report suggests, and a move to Naples would give him that challenge.
In this situation, Newcastle are relatively powerless as attempting to keep a player who wants to move on could have a detrimental impact on the squad, but so too could selling one of their key men.
One option, however, could be to look for a swap deal with Napoli, ensuring they receive a fee for Perez and a replacement.
Ultimately though, Newcastle need to do everything in their power to keep Perez, and demand the highest fee or negotiate a swap deal should the Spaniard pursue a move.
