Napoli presdient Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed the arrival of Polish international Arkadiusz Milik via Twitter, welcoming him to the club.
The 22-year-old Polish international is thought to be a replacement for the departed striker Gonzalo Higuain, however in a somewhat significant twist, the club did not give Milik the #9 shirt despite it being open, instead handing him #99 during an unveiling prior to the club’s friendly with Nice on Monday. This seems to suggest that Napoli has not completed its search for a striker replacement, and may be confident of yet another deal in the works.
Benvenuto Milik #ADL
— AurelioDeLaurentiis (@ADeLaurentiis) August 1, 2016
Milik arrives from Dutch giants Ajax, where he spent two seasons - one on loan from Bayer Leverkusen and one on a permanent contract. He burst onto the scene in the 2014/15 season, netting 23 times and assisting 10 others in 34 appearances across all competitions. He then bested those numbers last campaign, with 21 goals and eight assists in 31 Eredivisie appearances, including through February and March where he bagged nine goals across a six-match scoring streak. Of the 16 league matches Milik scored in, Ajax won 14 of them and drew two.
With the obligatory striker number still available at the club, Napoli has been linked most heavily with Inter frontman Mauro Icardi, whose name has been mentioned for a number of top clubs across Europe, including Arsenal.
