Chelsea want Lorenzo Insigne, but no one is interested in listening

Antionio Conte has need for another attack at Chelsea, and apparently he wants that attacker to be Lorenzo Insigne. Conte knows Insigne from their time together with the Italian national team, where Conte helped position him to take on the growing role he’s getting with Gli Azzurri. Insigne certainly has the talent to help out a team like Chelsea — but it takes two to tango, and neither Insigne nor Napoli seem to be terribly bothered with the idea of Chelsea’s interest.

Rumors sprouted on Tuesday that Chelsea were considering bringing Insigne in, but it was hardly an hour later that Radio Kiss Kiss — a radio station with ties to the club and that is regularly briefed by them — and other local Naples stations were all saying that any offers for Insigne from Chelsea wouldn’t even be considered or paid attention to. It was a firm and fast stance against the local hero leaving the club, one that should prove to be much appreciated by fans hoping for a strong summer for Napoli.

Lorenzo Insigne is too valuable a part of Napoli to let him leave — not only is he a local and someone who was developed by the club, making him needed for UEFA roster construction rules, but he’s grown increasingly vital as a central figure in their attack, helping form a fearsome quartet alongside Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon, and the last of the Three Tenors, club captain Marek Hamsik. Napoli need to keep that group intact — and help give them better depth — in order to stay competitive in the near future.

So sending out such a clear message to Chelsea and other interested parties — hands off — is important right now. Hopefully Napoli are able to stick to that message, because they can become an excellent team by letting this group continue to scare defenses. They just need to keep them together, at all costs.