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Napoli Hold Onto Key Men After Rejecting Huge Bids From Barca & Man City During Transfer Window

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SSC Napoli allegedly turned down a €100m bid from FC Barcelona for Lorenzo Insigne and a separate €65m offer for Kalidou Koulibaly from Manchester City - according to a report published by La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia).

Standing firm in the transfer window, the 'Partenopei' managed to retain the majority of their squad which featured during the 2016-17 campaign, although it was supposedly not easy to resist the 'Blaugrana's' and City's respective advances for the two club stars, with President Aurelio De Laurentiis ultimately putting an end to the European outfits' interests once and for all.

The Italian outlet claim that the La Liga giants lodged a final bid worth €100m for Insigne in order to lure the attacker away from his hometown, though Napoli swatted away the lofty offer tabled by the Catalans, as the 26-year-old is one of the country's most prolific offensive threats.

It's also been said that the Serie A contenders brushed the Citizens' €65m proposition aside to keep Koulibaly, also 26, at the Stadio San Paolo for the foreseeable future.

The Sky Blues' pledged an extra €10m to beat Chelsea's initial offer for the defender which was rejected by Napoli last year - denying the demonstrative duo is a measure of 'I Ciucciarelli's' intent of battling with the best clubs on the continent.

Napoli will face Pep Guardiola's City in the group stages of the Champions League this year, so the Italians have the chance to showcase the metal within their ranks, quality which was so highly sought-after throughout the transfer period.

So far this term, Napoli have started the domestic campaign in fine form after winning their first two opening fixtures against Hellas Verona and Atalanta; they had the ambition of claiming the Scudetto this season, and if they continue in the same vein, they'll find themselves in good stead to do so.