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Keep your hands off them! You will be ruining the San Paolo club and Napoli's beautiful game by making them bench warmers should they end up at your side!
Napoli have been put on alert after Manchester City admitted interest in signing Marek Hamsik, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani.
City chief scout Carlo Cancellieri confirmed the Barclays Premier League club were monitoring the trio.
"I confirm the interest of Manchester City in Hamsik, Lavezzi and Cavani, and I think that this should only please the Napoli fans," Cancellieri told Radio Crc.
"Napoli are a growing team who do not want to sell their best players. The strength of Napoli is the very soul and compactness of the group.
"Cavani in particular has always been my 'bullet', a player I like a lot. Other than Ibrahimovic, Cavani is the most incisive attacker in Serie A.
And his agent knows well Manchester City's appreciation for his client."
Roberto Mancini's side face the Serie A outfit in the UEFA Champions League next week.
Meanwhile, AC Milan have also been linked with a move for Lavezzi in the winter transfer window.
However, the Argentinean's agent insists the player is committed to the Naples-based outfit.
Milan are looking to reinforce their attack in January with striker Antonio Cassano ruled out indefinitely after undergoing a heart procedure.
Slovakian striker Marek Hamsik wants to stay at Napoli as he feels the best is yet to come for the high-flying side.
Hamsik, 24, joined Napoli from Brescia in 2007 but has been linked with a big-money move to one of Europe's top teams, with Manchester City and AC Milan the main suitors.
Despite the allure of the European giants and Sheik Mansour's millions, the Hamsik is eager to stay with Walter Mazzarri's men for the immediate future.
"We have a great relationship with our fans," Hamsik told Repubblica.it."I've been here for five seasons and now I feel like Naples is my second home.""Why will I stay in Naples? Because the best is yet to come, I'm sure. I don't believe that Napoli's cycle is at its peak. (Aurelio) de Laurentiis is building a team and the club is getting bigger and bigger," he said.
Napoli face Lazio in Serie A on Saturday before taking on the Etihad Stadium outfit in the Champions League in midweek, and Hamsik knows his side's chances of progression hang in the balance.
"The match against Manchester City is a challenge that the entire city of Naples has huge expectations over," he admitted.
Napoli striker Edinson Cavani has distanced himself from a move to English Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Uruguay international Cavani scored a brace in Napoli's 2-1 Champions League victory over City on Tuesday and is believed to be a transfer target for the big-spenders.
City manager Roberto Mancini has reportedly been monitoring Cavani along with team-mates Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik, but last season's top Serie A scorer says he is not thinking about leaving Stadio San Paolo.
Cavani told the Daily Mirror: "I am only focused on Napoli. I am always ready for a challenge and can play in a big league, but I'm very happy doing that in Naples."
"We've given ourselves the chance to qualify for the knockout stage, we upset City and we have to remain focused on ourselves."
"It doesn't matter to me if City have increased their interest, because my only ambition is to help Napoli in the Champions League."
City are rumoured to be looking to sign a striker to replace Carlos Tevez who is set to leave in January.
What a loser coach for a filthy rich club that can field TWO first team to be complaining.
Mancini unhappy over fixture list 29 November 2011
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has hit out over his side's congested fixture schedule.
The Italian also believes that the English FA only has itself to blame for the national team's poor performances at major tournaments.Mancini is unhappy as he takes his side to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, just two days after facing Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield.
"I think this is the reason why the national team arrive for European Championships, World Cups and they are dying," he said."The players don't have time to recover. We'll change all the team, because this is an incredible situation.""Arsenal played on Saturday, we play Sunday evening. Monday, travel to London, and we play Tuesday night. Incredible."
"To play again in two days like this so soon after the Champions League is incredible.""I don't know who is to blame, but the Premier League should have said something. It's important to play, but it's also important to recover. You need three days between one game and the other."
"We'll have the same in January when we play Sunderland (on New Year's Day) and then Liverpool in two days. Liverpool play three days before us. Is this correct? I don't think so."
Former Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann claimed the Champions League was better off without Manchester City.
Manchester City were eliminated from the competition despite beating Bayern Munich 2-0 on Wednesday night.
Lehmann, working as a pundit for Germany's Sky television, could not hide his pleasure at seeing City drop into the Europa League as Napoli joined Bayern in qualification from Group A of the competition.
"Man City play very, very boring football," he said. "They just make their opponents fall asleep with lots of possession.
"But to be honest, that is not tactically very demanding. The way they play here is the way any amateur team plays, only not on such good grass.
"They just pack men behind the ball, have five against two and just move the ball around. "The goal then just comes from a fortunate circumstance."
Lehmann, who played in the Champions League final for Arsenal against Barcelona in 2006, albeit for only 18 minutes before being sent off, was also unimpressed by the atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium.
"There was no life in the stadium," he said. "It was dead. "The fans are so quiet. You have got to say, though, that they have not got anything really to get excited about here.
"They had possession all of the time, albeit in their own half where nothing was happening. "It is a shame because it is not typical English football.
"Napoli have heart and passion and I liked them. It is good that they have gone through. "We don't want to see Manchester City in the Champions League."
Marco Reus' fine performances for Borussia Monchengladbach this season have reportedly caught the eye of Barclays Premier League giants Manchester City.
Despite playing on the wing, Reus has already scored seven goals this season, including four in his last two matches, and has helped Gladbach to fourth spot, a lofty position considering they were almost relegated just last term.
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have been recently linked with a move for the 22-year-old, but it now appears that City are also interested, according to their technical director Mike Rigg.
"I know Marco Reus," Rigg said, according to Bild. "I like him a lot. "He is one of the most talented players in Germany and we have often watched him."
Considering City's ability to splash the cash wherever necessary, Rigg's comments could lead to a bidding war for Reus' services, considering fellow Premier League side Arsenal were also reportedly keeping tabs on him.
Reus joined Gladbach in 2009 from Rot Weiss Ahlen, and has established himself as one of Germany's finest young prospects.
"Hamsik, Cavani staying at Napoli" Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed that star duo Marek Hamsik and Edinson Cavani have penned new deals with the club.
Hamsik is currently regarded as one of the best playmakers in Europe, and has regularly linked with a big-money move, with Manchester City reportedly leading the way in the chase for his services.
City are also rumoured to be interested in Cavani, who scored 33 goals in 47 matches for Napoli last season, and only made his move from Palermo permanent in the summer.
However, according to De Laurentiis, both players have committed their futures to the club.
"Will Hamsik leave Napoli? He has already signed a renewal and will remain with us, as well as Cavani who is going through a great moment in Italy," De Laurentiis told Studio Sport XXL.
De Laurentiis also paid tribute to coach Walter Mazzarri, who has transformed Napoli from a mid-table side to one challenging for top honours not just in Italy, but Europe as well.
"Mazzarri is a great professional who offers something completely different from other football coaches," De Laurentiis added.
"I have a wonderful relationship with him."
Napoli are next in action on Sunday when they play hosts to Roma.
Lille forward Eden Hazard's agent has revealed that he is expecting a 30-million-euro bid from Manchester City in January.
Marc Fourmeux, who represents the interests of the Belgium international, said that he is envisaging Roberto Mancini's men to make the first move ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and Inter in a proposal that would also see the attacker stay in France until the end of the season on loan.
"There is much talk of an offer of 30 million pounds from Manchester City, which will see him remain at Lille for the next six months," the agent is quoted as saying by AS."His future is in any case destined for a big European club like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City, AC Milan, Inter or Juventus."
However, Fourmeux also intimated that City may need to revise their offer as Lille president Michel Seydoux 'is seeking 40 million euros', and also gave an update on the situation involving in-demand Rennes and France international midfielder Yann M'Vila.
"In Italy, Inter and AC Milan want him, but it remains to be seen who will pay for him and who can convince him," he said."Wanted parties must put their hands in pockets. M'Vila is estimated at 20 million euros but it is unclear where he would go."
Mancini: We need more players Roberto Mancini is desperate to bring in another player during this month's transfer window in order to bolster Manchester City's title challenge.
Mancini has raised the possibility of not even being able to name a full complement of substitutes for Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie with Manchester United. It is a rather bizarre position for the world's wealthiest club to find themselves in but has been arrived at following the refusal of Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui to allow Yaya and Kolo Toure to delay their departure for preparations ahead of the African Nations Cup.
That has compounded the difficulties caused by Gareth Barry's suspension and injuries to Mario Balotelli, Owen Hargreaves and, possibly, Samir Nasri. It merely strengthens Mancini's fears he simply does not have the resources to be certain City will complete their championship quest without a major mishap.
"If we don't have the players it's tough for us," said the City boss. "We are not United. We don't have 19 championships. "United and Chelsea have won trophies for many years. So they are quiet. They understand that they can play without pressure. For us it's different. "This could be the first championship for many years and we need to do everything we can to win it."
By doing everything, Mancini means not letting the strength of his squad be reduced significantly. The problem for City's owners is not finding the cash, it is proving to UEFA they are serious about meeting the strict Financial Fair Play regulations that began this season and which the Blues are virtually certain to fail given the vast scale of their losses. Only by reducing them dramatically will City's hierarchy hope to avoid punishment, which means Mancini may have to sell before be can buy.
To that end, the departure of Carlos Tevez cannot come soon enough, although any movement with AC Milan and Inter, who have also expressed an interest, is proving slow. "It's better that we sell first," said Mancini. "Maybe then we can then take in other players. "I said two months ago that we could have a big problem in January because we have to play big games without Yaya."
Indeed, Toure could miss up to five Premier League games, in addition to Sunday's FA Cup tie, the fourth round should City get through and the two-legged Carling Cup semi-final with Liverpool. However, Mancini is also acutely aware that with Tevez remaining in Argentina, City have effectively been operating one striker down for the past three months.
"If we have strikers injured then we need to buy another," said Mancini. "Because (Edin) Dzeko has a problem in his knee, at the moment I have one striker and two midfielders." Instead of facing Sir Alex Ferguson's men, the Tours will be flying from Paris, where they are required for a team meeting on Saturday, to Abu Dhabi for a two-week training camp ahead of the tournament, jointly held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
And evidently, Mancini has no faith in some of the back-up players outside his senior squad because he is contemplating the possibility of only naming six substitutes. "For Sunday we have 17 players," he said. "I don't think we will have 18. "Gareth is suspended, Mario is injured. Samir was better yesterday but I don't know."
The strange case of Owen Hargreaves offers little cause for optimism either as two starts in the Carling Cup and a substitute appearance in the Premier League win over Aston Villa have not given way to a more consistent presence in the City squad. "Owen has worked with the team in the last two weeks without a problem," said Mancini.
"But it is clear that he is not Yaya at this moment. "He needs to play and work. I hope he can be ready to play one game but it depends on him." It leaves Mancini with just James Milner and Nigel de Jong available to face United from his pool of orthodox midfielders, although that could be supplemented by Pablo Zabaleta, or even Nasri should the former Arsenal man recover in time.
