China move back on for Napoli's Hamsik

BeSoccer 5 years ago 333 |

Reading time: minutes

The deal had been suspended due to problems with the agreed 'payment methods'. AFP

Napoli star Marek Hamsik's move to Chinese Super League club Dalian Yifang is back on track and should be completed early next week, according to reports in Italy on Saturday.

Napoli had suspended the deal because of a problem with agreed "payment methods" with the Chinese club which is coached by German Bernd Schuster. Dalian had wanted to pay the 20 million euro ($22.6 million) transfer fee to the Italian club in instalments. But Gazzetta Dello Sport reported that under the renegotiated deal the fee will be paid in two instalments of five million euros and 15 million euros. Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has also demanded additional bank guarantees from the Chinese club.

The 31-year-old midfielder is back in Slovakia and will undergo a medical in Madrid early next week, Sky Sports Italia reported. Hamsik, capped 111 times for Slovakia, has played for Napoli since 2007. He has scored 121 goals in 520 appearances and last season overtook legend Diego Maradona (115) as the club's record goalscorer. The three-year deal will reportedly earn him an annual salary of nine million euro ($10.2 million) -- three times what he earns in Italy.

Hamsik joined Napoli from Italian club Brescia in 2007, but coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed last week the player wanted a change.

"Napoli have a lot of respect for Hamsik, as he wrote history, but if he wants to have another experience, we tend to want to make him happy," said Ancelotti.

"When you want you can return, Napoli is always your home," De Laurentiis told Hamsik, who helped the club win two Coppa Italia titles, in 2012 and 2014, and the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana.

Napoli -- who last won Serie A in 1990 -- are second in Serie A nine points adrift leaders Juventus.