Napoli set Audi Cup squad without two players set for exits

Napoli are set to play in the Audi Cup in just a few days, with a trip to Germany to face Atletico Madrid and one of Bayern Munich or Liverpool in a two-day mini-tournament. They’ve officially named the squad that will be participating in the tournament, but will be leaving two notable players at home in when they leave.

Almost all of Napoli’s first-team players are making the trip, with the exception of two very notable absences. The first and most obvious is Duvan Zapata, who Napoli has spent all summer trying to off-load as he doesn’t fit with Maurizio Sarri’s needs. At one point, it seemed as though he was close to a deal with Torino, but those negotiations broke down and now Napoli are still trying to find him a new home.

The more interesting name, though, is that of Ivan Strinic, who has apparently been transfer-listed by Napoli in the last week. He was essentially replaced by Mario Rui earlier in the month, and while speculation had long been linked with a move away from the club, being left off the Audi Cup squad is a pretty strong indication that his immediate future lies away from Naples.

Also interesting is that Emanuele Giaccherini is in the squad heading for Germany, despite being believed to be very close to a deal with Sparta Prague just a few short days ago. Napoli have been having problems moving him all summer because of his wages — in fact, their inability to move Giaccherini was blamed as being the main reason they couldn’t sign Alex Berenguer — so seeing him in the traveling squad could be a sign that not only has the Sparta move disintegrated, they may just be stuck with him for another season.

In better news, though, new signing Adam Ounas is in the team and could be set for a prominent role in the two day tournament after dazzling in some of Napoli’s earlier friendlies. He’s been scoring goals freely and looking very impressive, and a strong showing in Munich could have Ounas set for a much bigger role in the team than fans initially expected for the youngster this season.

Here’s the full, XX-man squad that Napoli is bringing to the Audi Cup, which will be played on August 1st and August 2nd.

Goalkeepers: Pepe Reina, Rafael Cabral, Luigi Sepe

Defenders: Raul Albiol, Vlad Chiriches, Faouzi Ghoulam, Elseid Hysaj, Kalidou Koulibaly, Christian Maggio, Nikola Maksimovic, Mario Rui, Lorenzo Tonelli

Midfielders: Allan, Amadou Diawara, Jorginho, Marek Hamsik, Marko Rog, Piotr Zielinski, Emanuele Giaccherini

Attackers: Jose Callejon, Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens, Arkadiusz Milik, Adam Ounas, Leonardo Pavoletti