Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Napoli's captain and right back, scored in a pre-season friendly against Celta Vigo at Castel di Sangro, but his effort was not enough to secure the win — a goalkeeper error allowed Kevin De Bruyne to equalise for the Spanish side, and the match ended 1-1. The result is a footnote in August, but the context around it is not.
The more pressing issue is what surrounds Di Lorenzo rather than what he did on the pitch. Napoli are navigating a summer of significant turbulence: Romelu Lukaku's departure to Fenerbahce appears imminent, a potential Juventus-Napoli transfer axis is forming around several players, and the club's coaching situation has shifted — the headlines reference Allegri rather than Antonio Conte, who guided the side through the 2025-26 Serie A campaign. Di Lorenzo, at 32, is the fixed point around which all of this moves.
His 2025-26 numbers tell a story of reliable contribution rather than explosive output. Across 25 Serie A appearances, he registered two goals and one assist, carrying an average rating of 6.90. For a right back at his stage, those are the numbers of a player who does the work without demanding the spotlight — consistent, positionally sound, rarely the reason a game is lost. Napoli finished second on 73 points from 37 matches, a title challenge that ultimately fell short, and Di Lorenzo's steadiness was part of the infrastructure that kept them competitive.
The question entering 2026-27 is whether that infrastructure holds. Lukaku's likely exit removes a focal point in attack. The Juventus-linked transfer discussions add noise. And a pre-season draw against a Celta Vigo side preparing for Europa League football, however inconsequential in terms of points, suggests Napoli are still finding their shape.
Di Lorenzo's AI overall score of 68 out of 100 reflects a player whose ceiling, at 32, is largely known. He is not a developmental asset; he is a leadership asset. How the club builds around him this summer will determine whether his final years at Napoli are spent competing or consolidating.