Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has stated that he joined the club last summer as he wanted to be part of "a winning team".

The 26-year-old, who has scored 19 times for the Italian side this season, made the move from Real Madrid for a fee of £35m.

"When a man like Aurelio De Laurentiis spends that much money to have you, you can't help but be grateful," Higuain told Casa Napoli.

"I thank Real Madrid, where I spent seven years and learned so much from players like Van Nistelrooy, Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo, but last summer I realised it was time for a change of scenery.

"When I heard that I was going to leave Spain, I was linked with many sides including Juve, but I chose Napoli and they wanted to build a winning team."

Napoli are currently third in the Serie A table.

Written by
Daniel Lewis