Napoli boss Rafael Benitez’s pursuit of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Christoph Kramer is reportedly on the verge of collapse.
Italian source Il Mattio claims the Germany international is set to remain in his homeland by making a £9million switch to Bayer Leverkusen.
Kramer impressed in Bundesliga last term to the extent that he broke into the national side and earned a place in Joachim Low’s squad for the World Cup in Brazil.
His rise to prominence continued in stunning fashion when he was handed a starting berth in the final against Argentina at the 11th hour, following an injury to team-mate Sami Khedira in the pre-match warm-up.
Kramer had the misfortune of suffering a concussion following an accidental collision with opponent Ezequiel Garay in the early stages of the game.
He carried on playing for another quarter-of-an-hour before being substituted and exiting the pitch looking dazed and confused.
Kramer still picked up a winners’ medal as his colleagues went on to edge a narrow encounter 1-0 in extra-time courtesy of Mario Gotze’s clinical finish from close range.
Napoli will now turn their attention to other targets and are still chasing Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva, who is believed to have agreed personal terms but is waiting for the Reds to settle on a fee.