Sam Beukema’s first months at Napoli have become one of the quieter puzzles of the Serie A campaign. The Dutch defender has been included in every matchday squad since the opening league fixture against Genoa, yet he has not played a single minute under Massimiliano Allegri.
There are no tackles, clearances, aerial duels or appearances to assess. For a player bought to add weight to Napoli’s defensive options, his season has so far unfolded from the bench.
Quick facts
- Beukema joined Napoli from Bologna for €30 million, with a further €3 million in bonuses.
- He has remained in Napoli’s squad lists since the Serie A opener against Genoa but is still waiting for his debut.
- A long-standing Achilles tendon issue restricted his pre-season work.
- Alessandro Buongiorno is expected to miss months after knee surgery, potentially the entire first half of the league season.
- Beukema says he has been fully back with the group for several weeks and feels ready to help.
The explanation began before the championship did. Napoli disclosed that Beukema was managing a chronic Achilles problem, which kept him on an individual programme throughout the summer camp. At Castel di Sangro, his work on the pitch was limited to occasional athletic sessions.
His regular place among the substitutes initially suggested that a return was close, especially with Buongiorno facing a long absence following his knee operation. But as Napoli have navigated an injury-hit opening period, other players have been given controlled minutes to regain match rhythm.
Badiashile, David Neres and Frank Anguissa have all appeared in brief spells. Beukema has not received the same opportunity, despite Allegri recently indicating that he was progressing alongside Badiashile.
Before the trip to Florence, the Napoli coach said: “From Beukema to Badiashile, from what I can see, they are improving. We hope to see them well.” The wording offered encouragement, but not a timetable.
Beukema has attempted to make his own position clear. Ahead of the meeting with Bologna, his former club, he said he was feeling well and had rejoined full training weeks earlier.
“I feel ready and I cannot wait to contribute to the team,” he said. For now, however, Allegri has not altered his defensive hierarchy.
The situation has also had consequences beyond Naples. Beukema has repeatedly been left out of Netherlands squads, while teammate and compatriot Noa Lang recently joked online about the pair being “bench bombers” alongside a photograph of them together.
Beukema has not publicly shown frustration. He has remained upbeat around the group, but his lack of involvement is increasingly difficult to separate from a technical decision as well as his earlier physical condition.
The €30 million fee, plus possible add-ons, created expectations that the former Bologna defender could challenge Amir Rrahmani for a regular role. He arrived after two strong seasons in Emilia-Romagna, working first under Thiago Motta and then, particularly successfully, under Vincenzo Italiano.
He had also been strongly wanted by Antonio Conte. Yet even Conte had expressed reservations during the previous campaign, when Napoli faced Fiorentina on 31 January 2026.
After Giovanni Di Lorenzo was forced off injured in that match, Conte introduced Mathias Olivera rather than Beukema. His explanation was direct: Olivera, he said, offered him greater assurances.
Beukema is a right-footed defender who can operate in the middle of a back four or on the right of a three-man defensive line. His reputation has been built on his physical presence, aerial ability and capacity to begin moves from the back, but those qualities have not yet been seen in a Napoli shirt this season.
Allegri now holds the answer to a question that has followed Napoli through the early weeks of the season. Beukema says he is available; the coach has kept him waiting. Only a first appearance can move the Dutchman’s Napoli story beyond its present standstill.
