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Many have been wondering what the future holds for Napoli fullback Elseid Hysaj, because despite a wonderful debut season in Naples, there's been some belief that the Albanian could be sold this summer. Those beliefs grew from Napoli's apparent pursuit of multiple right backs in the transfer market, and it's been strengthened by Hysaj's excellent performances for his country at Euro 2016 -- but according to his agent, there's no reason for Napoli fans to be concerned.
"Elseid is feeling great, he’s proving to be a player of great quality on the international stage.
"The fact that Napoli are looking at defenders like Fabinho doesn’t bother me. [...] Hysaj is still calm, because I think he’s unmoveable from the right flank. I want to point out that Hysaj is not for sale, he’s shown a lot at Napoli and he’s happy in the city.
"The club wants to revise his contract, so there’s no reason to leave."
-Source: Football Italia
Those are the words of Mario Ciuffredi, Hysaj's agent, in an interview with Radio CRC in Italy on Monday. While many are loathe to take agents at their word, what he has to say makes plenty of sense -- with such a young fullback who's already demonstrated that he can play at a high level, why should Napoli sell him? Giving him an extension and a raise makes much more sense, especially after he's done so well on the international stage. Hysaj will be a very important player for Napoli in the Champions League, so there's no reason for the club to sell.
Sure, the club has been interested in a couple of other right backs -- namely Sime Vrsaljko and Monaco's Brazilian dynamo Fabinho -- but that's no reason to think that Hysaj will be shifted. For one thing, Vrsaljko is off to Atletico Madrid, and while Napoli are confirmed to be after 22 year old Fabinho thanks to a statement from Aurelio De Laurentiis, he's actually just as good in midfield if not better than he is at fullback, and he'd represent more of a versatile rotation option for Maurizio Sarri to play with.
That means that Hysaj would still be the first choice, still be the guy anchoring the right flank for Napoli. Given how he's played over the last year for club and country, that's hardly a bad thing -- he's quickly developing into one of the better right backs in Europe. He's the kind of player you can make into a core piece of your squad, and Napoli shouldn't be quick to sell him unless someone comes along with a hair-raising offer.