Mercato Madness: Josip Radosevic nears loan exit, but to where?

It's no secret that Napoli midfielder Josip Radosevic needs playing time, as he's played a whopping nine minutes this season. The young Croatian midfielder is one of Napoli's better young players in terms of his potential skill level, but the 21 year old needs first-team playing time in order to be able to reach that potential.

With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that both Radosevic and Napoli are seeking a loan for the rest of the season. The problem is that the two sides don't seem to be in any kind of agreement as to where he should be going.

Radosevic wants to go home to Croatia to play for the rest of the year, apparently specifically wanting to play for HNK Rijeka. Rijeka currently stands second in the 1. HNL, Croatia's first division, seven points behind Dinamo Zagreb and with a ten point lead over Radosevic's boyhood club Hajduk Split. Despite their good play, Rijeka are in need of a midfielder, so it seems like a natural fit.

Not so, according to Napoli. They'd rather see him stay in Italy and play in Serie B, with Crotone and Cittadella reportedly interested in bringing him in. It'd be understandable if Radosevic wasn't interested in playing for either club, with Crotone in 22nd place and Cittadella in 18th in the 22-team league. He'd certainly get plenty of time on the pitch at either club, but maybe it would be preferable to place him with a squad finding at least some modicum of success.

This will be a situation worth close monitoring. Radosevic is important to Napoli's future, and finding a way to let him be successful is vital. Of course, so is keeping him happy, so the two sides will have to find some happy medium in this dispute.