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If Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis is “smelling blood”, it may be because he has a proven winner on the touchline – Antonio Conte.

Last season’s Scudetto was the fifth Serie A title of Conte’s managerial career and his first with Napoli, making him the only coach to win the league with three different Italian clubs. Add a Premier League triumph with Chelsea to his resume, and it’s clear: Conte doesn’t rebuild, he wins.

And with him come the names. Romelu Lukaku joined permanently from Chelsea, while Kevin de Bruyne – fresh off a title-laden spell at Manchester City – reportedly took a pay cut to link up with Conte, enticed by the promise of trophies and intensity over luxury.

“Conte lives in the moment. He wants to win now,” says Naples-based journalist Vincenzo Credendino. “He likes young players – but only when they’re already stars.”

It explains why Napoli are targeting out-of-favour Premier League talent like Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, and Alejandro Garnacho. These are players who’ve drifted from favour in England, but in Serie A’s slower, more tactical game, they can thrive.

While the Premier League leads in pressing, pace and physicality, Serie A remains a league of structure, experience and technical nuance – a platform where players like Lukaku and De Bruyne can dictate rather than chase.

Conte’s sides may train like machines, but the trade-off is silverware. As one executive put it: “Napoli offer the lifestyle, the tactics and now one of the best managers in the world. It’s not a holiday – but it’s a winning project.”