Alex Meret, Napoli's 29-year-old goalkeeper, handed Celta Vigo an equalizer during a preseason friendly at Castel di Sangro on August 8, as Massimiliano Allegri's side were held to a 1-1 draw. Giovanni Di Lorenzo had given the partenopei the lead, but a mishap involving Meret and Kevin De Bruyne allowed the Spanish side to level and deny Napoli a winning start to their summer preparations.
The timing is uncomfortable. Meret enters the 2025-26 preseason with his status under Allegri still to be fully established, and a high-profile error in the first competitive test of the summer does nothing to ease that uncertainty. Napoli sit second in Serie A with 73 points from 37 matches — a campaign built in part on defensive solidity, with 36 goals conceded — and the goalkeeper position carries genuine weight in Allegri's system.
What the data shows is a goalkeeper operating at a moderate level. Across ten Serie A appearances this season, Meret has posted an average rating of 6.70 and contributed one assist, but his AI overall score of 67 out of a possible 100 — against a potential ceiling of 75 — suggests a player who has not yet reached the upper range of his own capability. That gap between current output and projected ceiling is the central question around him.
Allegri's Napoli are also navigating a busy transfer window. Romelu Lukaku appears increasingly likely to depart, with Fenerbahçe in discussions with the club over the Belgian striker. A potential move for Gabriel Jesus has also been floated as a replacement option. These are attacking decisions, but they shape the broader squad picture Meret will inhabit.
The preseason error will not define his season, but it will sharpen scrutiny. Napoli's second-place standing means the margin for defensive lapses in the league campaign is narrow, and Allegri — who has historically demanded reliability and composure from his goalkeepers — will have noted what happened against Celta. Meret's response between now and the Serie A opener will matter more than the mistake itself.