The brother of Diego Maradona says Napoli are in talks with a Qatari Sheikh over a possible sale, and that the former No 10 could be involved.

Speculation continues to grow that Aurelio De Laurentiis is in negotiations with a Qatari investor – rumoured to be Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Thani – over a possible sale of the club.

The brother of Diego Maradona says Napoli are in talks with a Qatari Sheikh over a possible sale, and that the former No 10 could be involved.

Speculation continues to grow that Aurelio De Laurentiis is in negotiations with a Qatari investor – rumoured to be Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Thani – over a possible sale of the club.

Hugo Maradona – brother of Vesuviani legend Diego – has claimed negotiations are real and speculated on the possibility of ‘El Diego’ being given a role at the club in the event of a takeover.

“Diego knows that there are negotiations between [Aurelio] De Laurentiis and the Sheikh from Qatar for the sale of Napoli,” the Argentinean superstar’s brother has told Cronache di Napoli.

“At this point I can’t say whether an agreement has been reached, I know there have been contacts. And of course Napoli and Naples have asked Diego for his opinion but that’s all.

“Diego is a fan of Napoli. He only cares about the happiness of the Napoli fans. Obviously if there’s a possibility that someone with virtually unlimited money wants to buy Napoli, he couldn’t fail but to be happy.

“Diego is a fan, and he wants Napoli to always be at the top, winning trophies and always playing in the Champions League.”

While Maradona insists his brother is not involved in the negotiations, he did offer some speculation about the state of any possible deal.

“I don’t know all of the details. I know that De Laurentiis was asking for €400m [for the club], and this was deemed too greedy. The first offer was €150m, so less than half of the asking price.

“De Laurentiis has revised his asking price to €250m, but the offer is about €195m, maybe even less so there’s still a big difference. But if both parties want to make a deal happen, it can be done.”

Napoli will play the Juventus in the Italian Super Cup in Qatar on December 22, but Maradona does not think it’s likely that a deal will be wrapped up so soon.

“I don’t think so. With these kind of negotiations, you know when they start, but it’s impossible to say when they’ll end.”

There has been much speculation that the Qatari Sheikh has sought out the opinions of Napoli legends such as Diego Maradona and Fabio Cannavaro on the club and the city, and that in the event of a takeover such figures could be given a role at the club, and Hugo believes such a move would be beneficial.

“They asked him [Maradona] about Napoli and the city, and he obviously he’s said what he thinks, but he’s not involved in the negotiation.

“Have they contacted Cannavaro too? I hope so, they [Cannavaro and Maradona] are two people who know football, and who love Napoli and Naples and could be of great help.

“Personally I don’t know [if they’ve spoken to Cannavaro] but I think it’s likely. Since they contacted Diego they’ve probably also spoken to Cannavaro.

“Could Diego have a role at Napoli? I don’t know, maybe. I think if they buy Napoli and show up with Maradona it would be extraordinary. Diego knows the Sheikh, but I can’t say any more at the moment.”

Byrob

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