Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis suggested that Victor Osimhen is only a step away from penning a new deal but noted it was a different story for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The Nigerian striker was the star of the show in the Partenopei’s Scudetto success last term and he’s maintained that form this season, scoring six goals across nine Serie A matches. With less than two years left on his current contract, the club have been hard at work on a new deal.
Napoli had also been negotiating a new contract with star winger Kvaratskhelia, but talks have stalled in recent weeks and no progress has been made. In the meantime, the club are hoping new coach Walter Mazzarri can ensure a top four finish this campaign.
Speaking at the ‘Campania Felix’ award show via Calciomercato.com, De Laurentiis first discussed the state of Osimhen’s contract renewal.
“For Osimhen we’re at the signature that has been pending since the summer.”
He was also asked about Kvaratskhelia’s situation.
“What does he have to do with it, he still has four years left… You always cry over a dead person who isn’t there.”
The Napoli president commented on his work to build a new stadium.
“I hear people say: ‘He presented a project which was rejected’. But it’s not true, I presented a project which was ‘not studied’. They stood there to see 41,500 spectators, given that we have an average of 32,000 per year, and the Juventus Stadium is barely 40,000, 39,900 I think.
“It was said by someone who wanted to do Masaniello, that the stadium must be a popular thing, and that it should be built for 55-60 thousand. But that’s fine, when they say that the stadium must be available to the people, then I say that public ownership should be created.
“Because when I then have to come up with €70m for Osimhen, who will come up with it? 90-year concession? I want to buy the stadium, with the commitment to invest those millions needed to build the boxes, to bring the public next to the players like in real stadiums, all of this.”
De Laurentiis looked ahead to Napoli’s coming clash with Scudetto hopefuls Inter.
“It takes a lot of ba… We don’t have a left back… There are two injured. Then we have a new coach, to whom we gave a big responsibility, because he had to immediately meet both Atalanta and Real Madrid, and at the Bernabeu a few minutes from the end we were level.”
Finally, De Laurentiis complained about the difficulty of the schedule.
“Now we have another tour de force with Inter and Juventus. Are two days enough to prepare for Inter, without two full-backs? It seems a bit difficult to me…
“Five days to prepare for Juventus… All the problems must be put on the table to be objective. And then… may the Madonna accompany us.”