Alessandro Buongiorno, Napoli's first-choice central defender, has yet to feature in pre-season as the club's new head coach Massimiliano Allegri closes out the Dimaro training camp — a situation that leaves the most consequential defensive question of the summer unanswered heading into the next phase of preparation.
The weight of that absence is structural. Napoli finished the 2025-26 Serie A campaign second in the table with 73 points from 37 matches, conceding 36 goals across the season. Buongiorno appeared in 33 of those matches, contributing one assist and averaging a rating of 6.80 — numbers that speak less to individual brilliance than to consistent, reliable presence at the back. Allegri's Napoli cannot easily replicate that consistency through rotation or improvisation.
What makes the situation particularly pointed is the managerial transition itself. Allegri is building his defensive identity from scratch, and the pre-season window — friendly matches, shape-setting, partnership-building between centre-backs — is precisely where a defender of Buongiorno's profile earns his place in a new system. Allegri said after Napoli's 2-0 friendly victory against Carrarese that the squad has "important values" and that the transfer market "is still for everyone," a measured response that avoided specifics about personnel. He also noted the priority of not conceding, which only sharpens the focus on who will anchor the back line once the competitive calendar begins.
Buongiorno's AI overall rating of 65 out of 100 suggests a player who has not yet reached his ceiling at 27. That gap between current and projected output is meaningful: it implies room for growth under the right system, but also that the defender is at an age where pre-season integration with a new coach carries genuine developmental value, not just fitness maintenance. Missing that window is a cost, even if the cause remains unstated in available information.
Allegri's Dimaro camp has otherwise moved forward. Rasmus Hojlund and a player identified as Giovane provided the goals against Carrarese, and the new coach has spoken positively about the work done in Trentino. The squad's mood around Kevin De Bruyne's extended absence has reportedly been one of frustration, suggesting Allegri is managing multiple absences simultaneously as he attempts to build cohesion.
Buongiorno's return timeline will define much of what Allegri can actually plan before the season opens.