If Edinson Cavani had chosen to stick around in the South of Italy for just another season, he could have written himself into the history books.
The Uruguayan left Napoli for PSG after netting 104 goals in just 138 games.
That leaves him just 11 goals behind the club’s all-time top scorer - the club's prophet Diego Maradona.
No matter however, as the Partenopei fans will remember the goals and performances that helped underpin the most successful era in the club’s history since Maradona was crowned king in the mid-to-late 80s.
True, Napoli did not exactly fill up the trophy room over the past three years. A sole Coppa Nazionale glitters in the bowels of the Stadio San Paolo. But as Arsene Wenger often says we live in a different era where qualification for the Champions League is a better gauge of success.
In that context, Napoli have achieved stellar success by qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition and establishing themselves in Serie A’s top three.
One would assume that losing not only Cavani but Walter Mazzarri- the manager that has masterminded the recent success – would put that foundation under threat.
But the decisions made by the club and its President Aurelio De Laurentiis could propel the team from the top three to full blown joint-favourites for the Serie A title.
Firstly, winning the race for Gonzalo Higuain means they have acquired a world class striker who can ably replace Cavani.
There is no guarantee that the Argentina forward will be an unqualified success but he offers more varied movement than the man he is replacing, while his finishing on the ground is not obviously inferior.
The appointment of former Liverpool manager and Chelsea “interim” Rafael Benitez is an interesting move, one that could go one way or the other.
Serie A does not have good memories of Benitez as the popular perception has seen him taking over European champions Inter Milan before driving them into the ground.
But one forgets that Jose Mourinho’s ageing team required rejuvenation and Benitez was vocal about the fact that the club president Massimo Moratti did not back him in the market.
That should not be a problem for Benitez this time and he also has the advantage of not being booed before he has even worn a groove into his seat in the dugout.
He will be reunited with Pepe Reina and a new Spanish contingent in attacking midfielder Jose Callejon and centre forward Raul Albiol who boarded the plane from Madrid to Naples along with Higuain. That should help Benitez settle as he is one of only three foreign coaches in the league this season. Exciting Belgian winger Dries Mertens has also arrived from PSV where he shone last season.
They join what was already a very strong squad which includes excellent full backs Juan Zuñiga and Christian Maggio, midfielder Gokhan Ilner, exciting youth academy product and winger Lorenzo Insigne and captain Paolo Cannavaro (Fabio’s brother) who is the leader at the back.
It is a strong team and even more formidable as I have forgotten one name for dramatic effect. Well it's not Oscar, BAFTA or even Razzie worthy suspense but Marek Hamsik is quite special – not only in the sense that he is one of the best attacking midfielders in Italy but he has also proved to be exceedingly loyal.
The Slovakian has seen fellow star men Ezequiel Lavezzi and Cavani leave Naples for big-spending PSG but he has never agitated for a move, despite considerable interest from the likes of AC Milan, Manchester United and Arsenal over the years.
There’s good reason why many clubs have shown interest. The vice-captain has scored 70 goals and directly created 58 more since he joined Napoli in 2007. Indeed last season, he was arguably the club’s key man as he netted 11 goals from midfield and made 17 assists from midfield in all competitions, topping Serie A’s assists table and just short of the Top 10 in the race for the Capocannonieri (top scorer).
Take a look at the potential starting XI and it cannot be said that Napoli are inferior to Juventus who have also strengthened. And while Fiorentina, Milan and possibly Roma could provide a threat in the Serie A title race, you would still place Napoli and Juventus as the two favourites for the Scudetto.
A strong start will be key especially given their involvement in Europe. Their first five matches of the new season are all eminently winnable and it is important they set down a marker before the European campaign gets into full swing.
Since 2002, a team not called Juventus, Internazionale or AC Milan has won the Scudetto. Many neutrals will be backing the Southern Italians to usurp their traditionally more powerful northern cousins.
