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Napoli: Hands off Hamsik Monday 19 November, 2007

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Napoli sporting director Pierpaolo Marino has warned Europe’s giants that Slovakian starlet Marek Hamsik is not for sale at any price.

The Partenopei have made an impressive return to the top flight and have settled in mid-table, largely due to the positive performances of their summer signings.

Argentine hitman Ezequiel Lavezzi, Uruguayan midfielder Walter Gargano and former Brescia man Hamsik all seem to be shrewd summer buys and are already attracting high-profile clubs.

“I wouldn’t sell any of the new boys,” Marino told Il Corriere dello Sport. “Not for all the money in the world – it’s just not an option.

“Whoever is putting around these rumours obviously thinks that we are the same Napoli of years ago. Nowadays under President Aurelio De Laurentiis things have changed a lot and the investment that has taken place shows that.”

Hamsik is attracting the lion’s share of the transfer gossip and it is believed that Juventus, Inter, Real Madrid and Manchester United representatives watched him play for Slovakia against the Czech Republic on Saturday.

However, the 20-year-old is under contract at the Stadio San Paolo until 2012 and it is clear that he won’t be leaving in the near future.

“Now everybody is aware of this lad’s potential and they are queuing up for him,” admitted Marino.

“But why didn’t they come forward when he was still playing for Brescia? At that time maybe they could’ve signed him, but there’s no chance now.”

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