Napoli say open to Dzeko, Cavani exchange

ROME (AFP) –

Napoli forward Edinson Cavani celebrates after scoring against Inter Milan during an Italian Serie A match at San Paolo Stadium in Naples on May 5, 2013. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed on Tuesday that he would be willing to discuss a deal with Manchester City that would see strikers Edin Dzeko and Cavani move in opposite directions.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed on Tuesday that he would be willing to discuss a deal with Manchester City that would see strikers Edin Dzeko and Edinson Cavani move in opposite directions.

“I have said to (sporting director Riccardo) Bigon: ‘Go and see City to negotiate a bit for Dzeko and see what they are prepared to do for Cavani,” De Laurentiis said during a public meeting in Naples.

The Napoli president has already indicated that he would be willing to release the Uruguayan striker, who was the top scorer in Serie A this season with 29 goals, for a fee of 60 million euros (£51m, $77m).

Cavani has scored 104 goals in three seasons for Napoli since signing from Palermo.

His goals have helped Napoli qualify for the Champions League twice. They finished second in Serie A this season behind Juventus and won the Italian Cup last year.

A big-money signing from Wolfsburg in January 2011, Bosnian striker Dzeko scored 15 goals in all competitions in the season just finished, but has often had to make do with a place on the City bench.

Meanwhile, De Laurentiis denied suggestions that he has been in contact with Chelsea’s interim manager Rafael Benitez about a move to southern Italy.

“I did not go to London for Benitez…it was to prepare the release of a film about Steve Jobs,” said De Laurentiis, a film producer, in response to reports in the Italian press.