Reports: Deal for new midfielder close

Sometimes rumors burn for months and turn in to nothing. Sometimes they explode out of nowhere, and before you know it, a player is holding a new club's shirt at a press conference. At the rate things are going, this one is definitely looking like it could be the latter.

Before this morning, David Lopez was a name that most Napoli fans probably didn't know. The midfielder only has a year of top-division experience, as he signed with Espanyol in Spain just last summer after spending several years in Spain's second division with various clubs. The 24 year old is generally regarded as a good defensive midfielder, though, and quickly became a key part of Espanyol's side last season.

Now, after a whirlwind of rumors today, it looks like he's making a big jump. Lopez has been heavily linked to Napoli in the last day, and Espanyol confirmed receiving a €5 million bid from an unnamed club that Sky Italia and others are certain is Napoli. Nothing official has been said as of yet, obviously, but it's thought that Espanyol are willing to accept the bid and let Lopez take the next step in his career.

The deal makes a lot of sense for Napoli. Their budget is obviously more limited than it was last summer, when the Edinson Cavani sale buoyed things, so an inexpensive deal with a talented midfielder in the upswing of his career and who fits what Napoli are looking for tactically and role-wise is pretty much a no-brainer. Lopez has the natural talent and tactical smarts to fit right in to a Rafa Benitez-lead side, and given the significant Spanish influences in the dressing room shouldn't take too long to fit in.

This is obviously developing fairly quickly and there's a lot of info to digest, especially considering that Lopez is a relative unknown in the realm of football. We will as always keep you apprised of new information or developments in this potential deal.