Napoli forward Alisson de Almeida Santos has contributed three goals across 11 Serie A appearances this season, carrying an average match rating of 7.30 as Antonio Conte's side sits second in the table on 70 points with three rounds remaining. The numbers are modest in volume but not in quality — and the context around them is about to shift considerably.
The significance of Santos's position within this squad is best understood against what is coming. Napoli face a summer of structural change. Several senior players are expected to depart, with the wage bill identified as a pressure point given the concentration of over-30 contracts. That reconfiguration creates space — and obligation — for younger players to absorb greater responsibility. Santos, at 23, is precisely the profile a rebuilding squad needs to lean on.
His AI overall rating of 72 out of a possible 100, with a projected ceiling of 78, places him in a bracket of players whose best football is still ahead of them. The gap between current output and potential is not a criticism; it is the argument for continued investment in his development. Three goals in 11 matches, for a forward used selectively rather than as a guaranteed starter, reflects a reasonable return — but the next phase of his career will demand more sustained influence.
The managerial picture adds another layer of uncertainty. Reports circulating in Italy suggest Maurizio Sarri is being considered as a potential successor to Conte, who is himself the subject of speculation about his future at the club. Conte's departure, if it materialises, would alter the tactical environment Santos operates in. Sarri's systems have historically demanded high positional discipline and pressing intensity from forwards — a different set of requirements than the structured, defensively anchored approach Conte has built at Napoli.
The Como draw on May 2nd — a goalless result that Conte described as a positive performance — illustrated where Napoli currently stand: a team that defends its structure well but has found goals harder to come by as the season has stretched. Santos's three-goal contribution across his appearances has been part of a collective attacking effort that has produced 52 goals in 35 matches, a figure that reflects efficiency rather than abundance.
What Santos does between now and the end of the season, and how he positions himself in pre-season regardless of who coaches Napoli in 2026-27, will determine whether he becomes a fixture in this squad or a peripheral figure absorbed into the summer's wider restructuring. The potential is documented. The next step is his to take.