Team needs: 3 more moves Napoli should make in the transfer window

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has one priority at the moment, and it's the future of record-setting Serie A goal-scorer Gonzalo Higuain. All the questions are about the Argentine, especially given reports that he's agreed to terms with Serie A-rival Juventus.

This isn't a unique situation for the southern club. Napoli has increased in stature, even as Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani left for the riches of Paris Saint-Germain. It can live without star players, and there will be life after Higuain.

De Laurentiis has insisted he will only sell Higuain if a club offers to exercise his €94.7-million release clause - as close to a win-win scenario as Napoli can get. Keep Higuain and get goals, or reinvest with the massive windfall from a sale.

In any case, Napoli at the moment is no closer to challenging Juventus for the Serie A title. Moves have to be made. Here are three things the Partenopei can do to improve their squad:

Reinforce central defence

Napoli's other soap-opera stars Kalidou Koulibaly, who enjoyed a breakout campaign last season under Maurizio Sarri. A strong and tall defender who's comfortable in possession, Koulibaly was a key reason why Napoli was able to push Juventus for as long as it could.

He's now attracting interest from the likes of Everton and Chelsea, his €50-million price tag doing nothing to scare off suitors.

Knowing something may happen, Napoli moved quickly to sign Lorenzo Tonelli from Empoli in May. He's one of Italy's most underrated defenders, and also worked with Sarri during the 2014-15 campaign in Tuscany.

But Napoli needs more. Should Koulibaly depart, the Campania outfit could look to steal Daniele Rugani from Juventus. In fact, Rugani's name has already been mentioned in a potential deal for Higuain.

The Italy international is one of the finest prospects on the peninsula, and he's unlikely to get much playing time in Turin with Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, and now Medhi Benatia all ahead of him.

Potential targets: Daniel Rugani (Juventus), Victor Lindelof (Benfica)

Boost midfield options

Napoli's midfielders proved their quality during last season's title challenge, with Jorginho showing his range of passing and Allan winning possession. Marek Hamsik enjoyed a renaissance of his own, the captain reclaiming a regular spot in the starting XI after struggling to make the cut under Rafa Benitez.

With the Champions League now an obligation, Napoli has to think about competing on multiple fronts. Hector Herrera is the ideal midfielder for Sarri, who could count on the Mexican's excellent distribution skills and goal-scoring ability to beef up his midfield. Napoli could play with a 4-3-1-2 in this case, with Herrera playing either in the centre or behind two forwards. Another midfield signing would elevate Napoli's profile. Dumping the likes of Jonathan De Guzman and David Lopez is also necessary.

Potential targets: Hector Herrera (Porto), Axel Witsel (Zenit)

Sell Higuain, reinvest everywhere

Selling Higuain isn't a necessary evil, but it could end up helping Napoli in the long run. Higuain shattered a 66-year-old scoring record last season as he racked up 36 goals in Serie A, but his individual exploits still weren't enough to lead a Scudetto push. The truth is, Napoli needs more than a historic striker to catch Juventus.

That's why it could stand to profit in more ways than one from a sale. The club would have a real chance to build a strong team in every position, spreading the talent everywhere. It could focus on buying budding youngsters like Piotr Zielinski - players who are on the verge of being world class. This squad clearly suffered whenever Higuain failed to perform, and that's a case of one-dimensional football that has to be resolved.

Potential targets: Piotr Zielinski (Udinese), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)