Napoli were doing great before they came down a gear or two at the start of the year. Their dip in form coincided with their left-back Faouzi Ghoulam getting injured. That just shows how much influence the 27-year-old exerts on their game from a fullback position.
In fact, he overtook Riyad Mahrez, who had a pretty good season himself. He became the Algerian player of the year. Maurizio Sarri’s system grows due to the presence of players like Ghoulam who can carry out his duties to perfection.
With Jordi Alba stepping into his 30s and Lucas Digne not proving of much use, it is the perfect time for Barcelona to be signing a player of Ghoulam’s abilities.