Optimism for Napoli in Allan and Astori deals getting done soon

It's been a frustrating ride for Napoli fans this summer, with one big deal held up from completion by it's complex nature, and another transfer held up by business-related complications. There's good news, though: both Allan and Davide Astori should be signed, sealed, and holding Napoli shirts soon.

According to news from Radio Kiss Kiss in Italy, it's expected that Allan will get the all-clear to join Napoli at their training retreat in Dimaro on Saturday night, with the final administrative bits including a medical coming Sunday and an announcement on Monday that the deal is complete to bring him from Udinese. Bringing an end to that saga will be a relief to say the least.

On the Astori front, it seems as though work to free him of his Puma sponsorship deal, thus allowing Napoli to control his image rights, is near completion. An exact timeline isn't yet known, but by what indications we have right now, it shouldn't take long at all for the negotiations to be concluded. Once they are, Astori will be free and clear to sign with Napoli as the rest of his deal to transfer from Cagliari is in place.

It hasn't been fun dealing with delays and setbacks in these transfers, but finally, blissfully, things appear to be coming to a positive conclusion. With them, Mirko Valdifiori, and Pepe Reina in hand, that represents a solid start to the transfer market. Let's hope for more good things in the near future.