Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has reportedly implicated former sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli in the ongoing investigation into Victor Osimhen’s transfer to the club. The Nigerian striker made the move from Lille to Naples in 2020, but the deal is now being looked at as it involved a number of players who may have seen their values inflated as part of the deal.
Il Fatto Quotidiano report that during a two-hour interrogation at the Rome Prosecutor’s Office as part of an ongoing probe into financial mismanagement, De Laurentiis distanced himself from any direct involvement in the negotiation process, attributing the entire transaction to Giuntoli. The investigation centers on suspicions of inflated player valuations in the Osimhen transfer, a deal that saw him become a pivotal figure in Napoli’s subsequent Serie A triumph.
According to prosecutors in Rome, who inherited the case from their Naples counterparts, there are indications of overvaluation concerning young players Luigi Liguori, Claudio Manzi, Ciro Palmieri, and goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis, included in the Osimhen deal. This alleged overvaluation allegedly allowed Napoli to record a “fictitious capital gain” of approximately €20 million.
De Laurentiis, represented by lawyers Fabio Fulgeri and Lorenzo Contrada, defended the inclusion of the four youngsters, asserting their potential and the French club’s interest in nurturing young talents. He also highlighted competing offers for Osimhen, including cash bids as high as €70 million. De Laurentiis intends to present evidence from the Italian Football Federation’s ruling, which absolved Napoli and its management of wrongdoing, emphasizing that Transfermarkt.it valuations, cited by investigators, cannot dictate club-to-club negotiations.
The impending submission of a legal brief by De Laurentiis’ legal team is expected to shed light on the valuation methodology applied to the young players, some of whom were deemed highly promising, with one even serving as the youth team captain. De Laurentiis reiterated Napoli’s financial stability, asserting the club’s independence from reliance on capital gains to balance its books.
With the investigation transferred from Naples to Rome and preliminary inquiries concluded, prosecutors anticipate reviewing De Laurentiis’ defense before deciding whether to pursue charges or seek dismissal.
