Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is facing criminal charges in Italy after being accused of falsifying the figures in Victor Osimhen’s arrival from Lille.
According to La Reppublica via Leonardo Bertozzi, the Rome Prosecutor has opened an investigation into De Laurentiis for alleged false accounting related to the Nigerian’s transfer in 2020.
Napoli reportedly paid Lille a club-record fee of €71.2 million to bring the prolific striker to the Diego Maradona Stadium three years ago, with around €20.1m of that figure made up of four players sent in exchange.
However, Laurentiis seems to have overvalued the players’ wages to inflate capital gains, which could come back to haunt him after three years.
After the Naples Public Prosecutor’s Office released the charges against the charismatic filmmaker, Italy’s Financial Police gathered documents concerning the controversial deal.
It’s been barely over a year since the court cleared Napoli of inflated capital gains allegations as De Laurentiis faces a new ominous-looking legal battle.
Osimhen’s stellar form in 2022/23 inspired the Partenopei to their first Scudetto in 33 years, with the 24-year-old lifting the Capocannoniere award with 26 goals.
His title-winning exploits attracted a host of high-profile suitors in the summer, but Napoli refused to negotiate their star forward’s sale.
De Laurentiis was adamant Osimhen wouldn’t leave the Maradona Stadium under any circumstances despite being offered monstrous figures from Saudi Arabia.
The same went for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who’s having a nightmarish start to the new campaign after playing a crucial role in the club’s run to the Serie A title last term.
Both players have endured a massive dip in form at the beginning of 2023/24.
While Kvaratskhelia has yet to get his name on the board, Osimhen’s barren run has extended to five games after he failed to convert a penalty in a tepid 0-0 draw at Bologna last weekend.
Unless Rudi Garcia’s standout performers reignite their form, Napoli’s decision to rebuff all approaches for their formidable duo could prove a huge mistake.
