Empoli confirm they “turned down more than €11m from Napoli” for Riccardo Saponara and Juventus are also interested.
The Tuscans activated their option to buy the creative midfielder from Milan last month for €4m, though the Rossoneri will receive 30 per cent of a future transfer fee.
“We bought out the player and he became the most expensive player in the history of Empoli,” director of sport Marcello Carli told Radio Crc.
Empoli confirm they “turned down more than €11m from Napoli” for Riccardo Saponara and Juventus are also interested.
The Tuscans activated their option to buy the creative midfielder from Milan last month for €4m, though the Rossoneri will receive 30 per cent of a future transfer fee.
“We bought out the player and he became the most expensive player in the history of Empoli,” director of sport Marcello Carli told Radio Crc.
“Our intention is to keep him. We already turned down something more than €11m from Napoli, but when you sit around a table and there is the desire to get a certain player, you do find a solution.
“We also talked to Juventus about Saponara, but then didn’t go forward because we are convinced the lad has a lot of quality. After an extraordinary campaign with us, I think he’ll be worth even more on the market.
“The offers that arrived from Napoli and Juventus for Saponara were important, but we didn’t take them into consideration because we want to keep him and the player wants to stay.”