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Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen. Copyright: ImagoxEttorexFerrarix<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Napoli<\/a> president Aurelio De Laurentiis has admitted that he made a mistake regarding the transfer of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen<\/a> away from Napoli, Soccernet.ng reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u200bOsimhen joined Napoli from Lille in a \u20ac70 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.<\/p>\n \u200bHe 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.<\/p>\n \u200bDue 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.<\/p>\n \u200bBayern 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.<\/p>\n \u200bThe 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u200bBy 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 S\u00fcper Lig side Galatasaray on loan before the deal was made permanent last summer.<\/p>\n \u200bRecently, it was revealed that following Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s sensational performances at Napoli, PSG offered a bumper package of \u20ac200 million for both players in the summer of 2024.<\/p>\n \u200bThat 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\u2014a decision the president now deeply regrets.<\/p>\n \u200bThis is because Osimhen departed on loan that summer before completing his \u20ac70 million switch to Galatasaray last year. Subsequently, Kvaratskhelia joined PSG for a similar fee in January 2025. This means Napoli would have earned \u20ac60 million more had they accepted PSG’s original joint offer.<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cWhen we started with Conte, we received an offer of \u20ac200m from PSG and others to sell Victor Osimhen and Kvara together. Mr. Conte said, \u2018Osimhen you can sell, but please don\u2019t sell Kvara. This was a big mistake,\u201d De Laurentiis told The Athletic.<\/a><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cBecause afterward, I had major trouble with Kvara\u2019s father and agent.\u201d He claims the player\u2019s advisors were prepared to invoke FIFA\u2019s Article 17 to break his contract. In the documentary, De Laurentiis explains: \u201cAny 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cThe coach was not happy because you are telling him I need to do it for legal reasons. I\u2019m trying to change these rules. Because if you make an investment, you cannot be blackmailed by anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/thumbor\/5xToKg99z7sKx9KUp3Btmp-gj1o=\/1024x683\/smart\/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.soccernet.ng%2Fmain%2F2025%2F05%2Fimago1030685505.jpg\")
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Soccer \u200bDe Laurentiis Regrets Victor Osimhen Action<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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