Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed how a major transfer decision during Antonio Conte’s Scudetto-winning campaign backfired.
The Naples-based club received a staggering €200 million combined offer from Paris Saint-Germain for Nigeria’s Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the start of Conte’s tenure.
Osimhen was the standout player as Napoli clinched their first Serie A title in thirty-three years in May 2023, notching 26 goals to win the Paolo Rossi Award.
Despite signing a new contract in December 2023, a gentleman’s agreement had already been established between the former Lille star player and De Laurentiis, allowing the former African Footballer of the Year to leave the Diego Maradona Stadium before the 2024-25 season.
After proposed moves to Chelsea and Al-Ahli collapsed, and with the transfer windows across Europe’s major leagues closed, Osimhen secured a loan switch to Galatasaray in September 2024, a move that was later made permanent the following season.
De Laurentiis has admitted that Conte made his preference clear regarding which of the two forwards should be offloaded.
When we started with Conte, we received an offer of €200m from PSG and others to sell Victor Osimhen and Kvara together. Conte said, ‘Osimhen you can sell, but please don’t sell Kvara’,” he told The Athletic.
Napoli sanctioned the departure of Kvaratskhelia to PSG in January 2025, a move De Laurentiis now regrets.
Big mistake. After that, I encountered significant issues with Kvara’s father and agent.
Osimhen scored 76 goals and provided 18 assists across 133 matches during his five-year association with Napoli.
Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku’s turbulent season at Napoli appears to have reached crisis point after the striker’s choice to go against the Serie A champions’ wishes.
The former Manchester United forward has endured a torrid campaign in Naples with the bulk of his season wiped out due to the serious hamstring injury he sustained last summer.
In the aftermath of the setback, Lukaku posted on Instagram: “I really appreciate the support from you guys. S*** happens, and injuries are part of the game, but by the grace of God, I feel good, and I’m always positive-minded no matter what. See you soon.”
However, Lukaku has found it difficult to honour that pledge. After five months on the sidelines, the 32-year-old – who also heartbreakingly lost his father last September – made his comeback in January but has featured for just 64 minutes since then.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
