Loan Watch: Pepe Reina's form at Napoli has been excellent

Pepe Reina

Liverpool’s Pepe Reina moved to Napoli on loan in the summer in search of first-team football ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

Brendan Rodgers brought in Simon Mignolet to Anfield, leaving the 31-year-old with no option other than to leave the club. The Spaniard was reunited with former Reds boss Rafa Benitez in Italy, after opting to join the his former coach’s new project at Napoli.

With a place in Vicente del Bosque’s squad as the World Champions defend their crown in Brazil and the possibility of a permanent switch to the San Paolo up for grabs, how is Reina getting on in Serie A?

Well, the former Villarreal goalkeeper has showed signs of improvement in Italy; he has been successful with 92% of his claims, compared to 86% for Liverpool last season. He’s also making more saves per game. For Liverpool he averaged 1.35 a game, but with Napoli he has hiked that figure up to two per game.

Pepe Reina at Napoli this season

You may think this is because he is simply facing more shots in his new surroundings, but he’s also conceding less often this season. He’s conceded just four goals in seven games – on average once every 157.5 minutes, a major factor in Napoli’s impressive start to the current campaign. That rate was much more frequent at Anfield last year though; he conceded on average a goal every 82 minutes.

Pepe Reina at Liverpool last season

His best performance came in an impressive 2-1 away win against Milan. Making four saves, four punches, three catches, and just one failed catch. He won Squawka’s Man of the Match in the game which will long be remembered for the goalkeeper’s penalty save from Mario Balotelli, the first time the Italian striker has ever failed to convert from the spot. Only high-flying Roma’s Morgan De Sanctis has a higher Performance Score than Reina after seven games.

Reina has stressed his happiness at the Italian club, despite not having much say on where or whether he moved this summer. Napoli are currently second in Serie A, with six wins and a draw.

With Mignolet also impressing in his early Anfield career, a return to Liverpool looks unlikely, but good performances on loan could mean the club can sell the player for a higher price come July. Reina could perhaps to be playing for a ‘dream switch’ to Barcelona, if reports throughout the summer transfer window are to be believed. He recently told Radio Catalunya: “It would be great to return to Barcelona. I am very happy that my name is being mentioned, but my goal right now is to put in a good season with Napoli.”