Monza striker Gustavo Varela is enjoying a breakthrough season that is already shaping the January transfer window, with fresh reports placing him on the radar of Napoli and Juventus.
The centre-forward, signed from Benfica’s B team, has made an immediate impact in Serie A. He has scored nine goals in 10 league matches, and added two more goals in his only Coppa Italia appearance for Monza so far.
That kind of return has naturally raised his profile well beyond Brianza. Varela has also earned his first senior call-up with Portugal for Nations League duty, giving him an extra platform to impress international scouts while his club form peaks.
Napoli contacts reported as interest grows
According to reports, Varela’s agent met Napoli director Giovanni Manna on Thursday. However, the talks may not have been solely about Varela: the same representative, Hector Peris, is also linked to current Napoli players Rafa Marin and Alisson Santos, which could explain the broader meeting context rather than a single-issue discussion.
Even so, with a striker already producing at a high rate, any contact with Napoli is likely to be treated seriously by Monza. The club are understood to be keen to keep Varela until at least the end of the season, partly because his goals are helping drag them away from the relegation zone.
Juventus also monitored, with potential player-swaps discussed
Interest is not confined to Naples. Tuttosport reports that Juventus have added Varela to their list, and that they could potentially use Adin Licina as part of any proposal.
Licina is currently on loan at Cremonese, and shares the same agent as Varela. That detail matters in modern negotiations: shared representation can speed up early talks, even if the final deal depends on Monza’s valuation and the player’s willingness to move in January.
For Monza, the situation is a balancing act. Varela’s early goals have made him indispensable on the pitch, but repeated scoring at this pace tends to inflate demand and cost. With the transfer window approaching, Monza may find it increasingly difficult to keep hold of him if bigger offers arrive—especially while his stock remains at its highest point of the season.
The next step for supporters is straightforward: watch how Monza manage their fixtures and rotation, while keeping one eye on whether any credible bids materialise as the January window nears.
