Napoli, after finishing behind Juventus again in the Serie A standings, is close to the acquisition of James Rodriguez.

Napoli appear to be the frontrunners for the Colombian national, and reports say that the 42 euro transfer could be finalized this week.

Rodriguez looks to reunite with his former boss Carlo Ancelotti, who managed the Colombian national during the 2014-15 season while at Real Madrid.  That season was Rodriguez’s first and most successful at Madrid, as he scored 13 goals in 29 league appearances.  Since then, Rodriguez fell out of favor at Madrid, and he spent the last two seasons on loan with Bayern Munich.  Now, Rodriguez is said to be looking forward to a fresh start with a squad like Napoli.

So how does Rodriguez fit in with the Partenopei?  He is best-suited as an attacking midfielder: or trequartista as it’s called in Italy.  In this role, Rodriguez can utilize his playmaking skills and play behind the talented trio of Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens, and Jose Callejon.

He’ll act as a link between the attackers and midfielders,  something that Napoli has lacked since Marek Hamsik’s departure.  At the same time, Rodriguez certainly has the talent to pitch in with goals of his own.  Napoli scored the second most goals in Serie A last year, and its attack will only become more lethal with Rodriguez on the field.

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Rodriguez’s potential arrival at Napoli shows that the squad is serious about catching Juventus and winning Serie A next year.  Juventus have won the Scudetto eight years a row, and Napoli desperately wants to end this streak after coming close last year.  Not only that; it’s clear that Napoli wants to climb the ladder in Europe.  Napoli failed to advance past the group stages in the Champions League last year, but with a deeper and more talented squad, that could definitely change.

Over the past few years, Napoli has been one of the most exciting squads in all of Europe, and this excitement will only grow with the arrival of James Rodriguez.  Will this excitement lead to trophies, or will Napoli continue to play second fiddle to stronger clubs like Juventus?  Only time will tell, but if Rodriguez becomes a Napoli player, we may hear our answer earlier than expected.