Soccer
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen. Copyright: ImagoxEttorexFerrarix
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has admitted that he made a mistake regarding the transfer of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen away from Napoli, Soccernet.ng reports.
Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille in a €70 million deal in 2020 and quickly rose to become a key player for the club. The Super Eagles star contributed 76 goals and 18 assists in 133 appearances across all competitions for the Partenopeans.
He also led them to their first Scudetto win in over four decades during the 2022/23 campaign, winning the Capocannoniere in the process. He forged a deadly and ruthless partnership with Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia; it became a common sight to see the pair put opposing teams to the sword every week.
Due to his brilliant performances in the 2022/23 season, Osimhen was linked to several elite clubs. He was pursued by Premier League giants like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Even in Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona were heavily linked to the striker.
Bayern Munich were also in the mix alongside a host of clubs from Saudi Arabia. However, none of the speculation eventually materialized, as he opted to stay in Naples amid the overwhelming adoration he received from the fans after winning the league.
The decision to stay in Napoli eventually turned out to be an unfortunate one, as the club’s title defense faltered. The season was marred by frequent managerial changes that affected Osimhen, followed by the controversial TikTok incident.
By the summer of 2024, it was clear that Osimhen was going to leave. But Napoli did not let him go without a fight. After a standoff that prevented him from joining a top club in Europe’s big five leagues, he eventually moved to Süper Lig side Galatasaray on loan before the deal was made permanent last summer.
Soccer De Laurentiis Regrets Victor Osimhen Action
Recently, it was revealed that following Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s sensational performances at Napoli, PSG offered a bumper package of €200 million for both players in the summer of 2024.
That was the period when Aurelio De Laurentiis had just appointed Antonio Conte as head coach. However, De Laurentiis says that Conte advised him to sell Osimhen but keep Kvaratskhelia—a decision the president now deeply regrets.
This is because Osimhen departed on loan that summer before completing his €70 million switch to Galatasaray last year. Subsequently, Kvaratskhelia joined PSG for a similar fee in January 2025. This means Napoli would have earned €60 million more had they accepted PSG’s original joint offer.
“When we started with Conte, we received an offer of €200m from PSG and others to sell Victor Osimhen and Kvara together. Mr. Conte said, ‘Osimhen you can sell, but please don’t sell Kvara. This was a big mistake,” De Laurentiis told The Athletic.
“Because afterward, I had major trouble with Kvara’s father and agent.” He claims the player’s advisors were prepared to invoke FIFA’s Article 17 to break his contract. In the documentary, De Laurentiis explains: “Any player aged under 28, after three years of contract, can free himself for next to nothing. And since this player and his agent were absolutely determined to leave Naples, I decided it was better to sell him.”
“The coach was not happy because you are telling him I need to do it for legal reasons. I’m trying to change these rules. Because if you make an investment, you cannot be blackmailed by anybody.”
Osimhen recently expressed his frustration, claiming Napoli treated him “like a dog” during his departure. That sentiment may not be far from the truth, given how protracted the situation became until he eventually settled for Galatasaray.
Nonetheless, the 27-year-old is happy with his current situation. Galatasaray has become a home for him, and the fans have consistently shown him love. Still, many fans expect him to make a move to a bigger club in the near future.
Kelvin Omachonu
Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, he is fueled by a profound dedication to sports journalism and the beautiful game. His insights have previously been featured in respected outlets, including IndyPress UI, UCJ UI Newshive NG, Sportpremi, and a few others.
Away from work, Kelvin is an avid fan of basketball, enjoys a great movie, and is always discovering new music.
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