After losing both of their left backs in quick succession, Napoli looked to Melvin Bard in January to fill the void. Mario Rui should return before the year ends after suffering a thigh strain, but Mathias Olivera is anticipated to miss a few months due to an MCL sprain.
He has been a key member of the high-flying Francesco Farioli-led Nice squad thus far, logging two assists in thirteen appearances. The 23-year-old is in his third season with Le Gym after a €3 million move from Olympique Lyonnais in 2021.
Bard has also accrued caps with every French youth side but has never been called up by the first team. Il Roma (via Mediaset) reports that the Partenopei reached out to Nice to ask for the defender. They were met with a €15 million request. The Azzurri filed the answer away and will consider whether to go after him in January.
After leaving Olympique Lyonnais in 2021 for €3 million, the 23-year-old is currently in his third season at Le Gym. Although he has earned caps for every French youth team, the first team has never called him up.
