Napoli interested in Luiz Gustavo? Or just trying to make Arsenal fans cry?

Before Gonzalo Higuaín even set foot on the pitch for the first time in a Napoli kit, he was being booed. The crowds at the Emirates weren't angry because he'd left Arsenal for the lovely shores of Naples. They weren't even upset because he'd scored against them in an important match. No, these Gunners were upset because their club had pursued a striker and were outbid by another side willing to offer up more money.

So it's probably safe to say that Arsenal fans won't be too pleased to hear of Napoli's rumored interest in Luiz Gustavo. For the past couple days, the rumor mills have been churning, spitting out stories about Arsenal's supposed upcoming bid for the Brazilian midfielder. But now there's news of Napoli wanting him and dear god we've just made ourselves a mortal enemy, haven't we?

Of course, it's the silly season. It's highly likely that one, or both, of these clubs have no plans to actually submit a bid for Luiz Gustavo. This information could all be coming from Bayern Munich in an attempt to drum up interest in a player that no longer is necessary to their plans.

But bringing in Luiz Gustavo would not be the worst idea for Napoli. In Rafa Benitez's 4-2-3-1, the partenopei will need two strong midfielders to sit behind the fluid attacking three. And now that Valon Behrami has mastered the art of moving forward and is looking quite sharp (well, at least in preseason, let's hope that lasts) the side will need a defensive midfielder to sit back and absorb pressure. Particularly since the Napoli defense tends to fall apart at the mere hint of an attack (but that's an entire other post). Luiz Gustavo can fulfill exactly that role, protecting the defense while not worrying his mind with building up an attack.

And, let's face it, if we're going to make mortal enemies with a fanbase, Arsenal's is probably the one that's least likely to inflict any lasting harm.