Costantino Favasuli: Napoli's New Defensive Signing

Costantino Favasuli is on the brink of a major step up. The Italian defender has arrived for his medical with Napoli, closing in on a move that could reshape his career and strengthen the Partenopei’s flanks.

The 22-year-old touched down at Rome’s Villa Stuart this morning, where a small group of Napoli supporters greeted him, a hint of the expectations already forming around one of Italy’s most talked-about young full-backs.

Loan now, obligation later

Napoli have structured the deal as an initial one-season loan from Serie B side Catanzaro. The fee for the loan is set at €1m, with an obligation to buy at around €6m. It’s a clear signal: this isn’t a gamble on a fringe prospect, it’s a planned investment in a defender they expect to keep.

Favasuli arrives on the back of a standout season in Serie B. With Catanzaro, he scored two goals and delivered seven assists in 36 appearances, driving the club all the way to the Serie B play-off final. Those numbers are eye-catching for a full-back at any level, even more so for one still only 22.

Versatile and on the rise

Nominally a right-back, Favasuli has also shown he can operate on the left, a versatility that will appeal to any coach navigating a long season and a packed fixture list. His ability to switch flanks gives Napoli extra flexibility in both defensive solidity and attacking build-up.

His rise has not gone unnoticed at national level either. In June, under caretaker coach Silvio Baldini, Favasuli made his senior Italy debut and featured in both friendlies against Greece and Luxembourg. Those appearances underlined his status as one of the most promising young full-backs in the country.

If he passes his medical and the paperwork goes through as expected, Napoli will be betting that the defender who lit up Serie B can now handle the weight of the shirt in a city where full-backs are judged as fiercely as strikers.