Well, sports fans, get ready for some exciting news out of Italy. Napoli, the current Italian champions, just made a big move. They announced on Tuesday that Spanish defender Miguel Gutiérrez is joining their squad. He’s leaving Girona after playing there for three seasons. This is a significant step for the young talent.
The details of Gutiérrez’s contract and the money involved haven’t been fully spelled out by the clubs. But, from what we’re hearing in the international press, the left-back has put pen to paper on a five-year deal. This keeps him at Napoli until 2030. The reported transfer fee is a hefty 18 million euros, plus an extra 2 million euros in bonus payments. That tells you Napoli truly values what he brings to the pitch.
Gutiérrez, who is 24 years old, has really made a name for himself. He arrived at Girona in 2022 and quickly became a key player. During his time there, he played in 112 matches. He also chipped in with six goals and provided a fantastic 19 assists. Before his Girona days, he was at Real Madrid. There, he won a Spanish championship and a Champions League title, both in the 2021/22 season. He played a total of 10 games for the Madrid giants.
This young man knows how to win. He lifted the Youth League trophy with Real Madrid back in the 2019/20 season. In that final, he even scored Real Madrid’s third and final goal in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Benfica. On top of that, he’s fresh off winning an Olympic gold medal for Spain at the Paris 2024 Games. Now, he’s the eighth new face to join Napoli for the upcoming season.
Napoli, who clinched their fourth Italian championship in the 2024/25 season, has been busy this summer. They’ve already brought in several other players to bolster their team. These include goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic from Torino, a central defender from Bologna, and Luca Marianucci from Empoli. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, formerly of Manchester City, has also joined the club. Up front, they’ve added forwards Noa Lang from PSV Eindhoven, Emanuele Rao from SPAL, and Lorenzo Lucca from Udinese. The Partenopei are certainly making moves to stay at the top.