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Barcelona Transfer News: Genoa Rejected Napoli Approach for Krzysztof Piatek
November 7, 2018
Genoa sporting director Giorgio Perinetti has said the club has rejected several offers for star striker and reported Barcelona target Krzysztof Piatek, including one from Serie A contenders Napoli.
The director spoke to Radio CRC (h/t Football Italia) to discuss the transfer rumours surrounding the Poland international: "We've sent all offers for Piatek back to sender. Did one come from Napoli? Yes, but it wasn't the right time. Will talks resume in June? We'll think about it later."
Marca previously linked the Catalans with Piatek, naming him as a possible long-term replacement for Luis Suarez.
Piatek has been the breakout star in Serie A so far this season, hitting the ground running after making the switch to Genoa in the summer. He has scored nine goals in 11 appearances in the league, with four more in the Coppa Italia.
The 23-year-old's highlights look impressive:
Piatek's excellent early-season form has led to plenty of transfer speculation already, despite the fact he only joined his current club months ago. Genoa have done everything possible to drum up interest, with president Enrico Preziosi telling Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) they have been "inundated" with phone calls for his services.
His agent has also discussed the speculation in an interview with CalcioNapoli24 (h/t Football Italia) and at this point it would appear everyone is trying to drive up his value in anticipation of a transfer in the near future. January may come to soon, but he could be off next summer.
Both Napoli and Barcelona aren't exactly short of options in the scoring department. Both teams lead their respective leagues in goals scored and have bags of talent in attack, including the likes of Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.
Piatek has the look of a great prospect, but there's a limited sample size to work with, and his scoring form has hit a sag in the past few weeks. He's gone four straight matches without finding the net, and that dry spell has coincided with a tougher schedule for Genoa.
The Poland international is one to keep an eye on, but he has plenty of developing to do still before he would be deemed ready to make his mark at a top club. The speculation is unlikely to go quiet while he does, with Genoa seemingly determined to keep him in the news.