NAPLES, ITALY – MAY 11: Victor Osimhen of SSC Napoli stands disappointed during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Bologna FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on May 11, 2024 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
La Repubblica has published documents and emails relating to negotiations between Napoli and Lille for Victor Osimhen in 2020, with former Partenopei manager Cristiano Giuntoli urging them not to “leave any trace in the emails”.
Documents, emails and text messages between the Napoli and Lille managers were published in Repubblica newspaper.
Rome prosecutors Lorenzo del Giudice and Giorgio Ornano have already requested that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and CEO Andrea Chiavelli be put on trial for false accounting in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Osimhen’s move from Napoli to Lille is being investigated by the Italian authorities, but Napoli are at no risk of being deducted in sporting terms as FIGC prosecutor Giuseppe Sine has already cleared the Partenopei.
La Repubblica has obtained documents related to the investigation, including text messages and emails between Napoli’s former manager Giuntoli and Napoli’s former deputy sports director Giuseppe Pompiglio.
Giuntoli warns that “emails leave no trace”
On July 17, 2020, Mr. Pompilio texted Mr. Giuntoli: “Don’t write anything. Emails leave no trace. Just say whatever you want in person.” Neither Mr. Giuntoli nor Mr. Pompilio are under investigation.
According to the newspaper, Napoli have set a cap for Osimhen at 50 million euros, and Lille president Gerard Lopez is open to discussing the deal, while valuing the Nigeria international at 70 million euros.
Therefore, the two clubs began discussing a possible swap deal, and that’s when the problems began.
“This allows us to pay less than any other club, but still give us the nominal value we need to get the deal done,” Lopez said in an email, which investigators believe is a key element in proving that both clubs voluntarily inflated the transfer fee.
The clubs initially discussed including Fernando Llorente in the deal, but then attention shifted to Leandrinho, the Napoli-owned Brazilian winger on loan at Bragantino. Napoli managers are reportedly considering valuing Leandrinho at between 10 and 15 million euros, but Bragantino had the option to sign him for just 500,000 euros.
Lille propose to include Karnezis in contract with Osimhen
Lille then showed interest in Adam Unas and Oretis Karnezis, a 35-year-old goalkeeper who Napoli signed for 2.5 million euros in 2018.
The acquisition of Karnezis was requested by Lille, who were prepared to value the experienced goalkeeper at 35 million euros, but the French club’s president warned in a new email: “In this regard, it is very important that there is no communication of any kind regarding the contract or the amount. It would be contrary to the purpose of the contract and would reflect poorly on all of us.”
Karnezis was originally valued at 15 million euros, but the price dropped to 10 million euros, then 7 million euros, and finally 5 million euros as Napoli added three academy players to the deal rather than Unas. Luigi Liguori and Claudio Manzi each received 4 million euros and Ciro Palmieri 7 million euros.
None of the players from Napoli’s academy have been able to make their debut for the French club, and Liguori said he has not even been to Lille in 2021.
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