Aurelio De Laurentiis will face trial over alleged financial irregularities tied to Victor Osimhen’s transfer, following a formal decision by Italian authorities to pursue charges.
Napoli secured Osimhen from Lille in 2020 for €76.3 million, with the striker later delivering 76 goals and 18 assists in 133 appearances before his permanent switch to Galatasaray this summer.
An investigation into the striker’s move from Lille began last month after WhatsApp chats involving key figures in the agreement surfaced.
In the leaked messages, it was confirmed that the Napoli bosses were involved in false accounting over the amount spent on Osimhen.
According to information from La Repúbblica, Lille initially proposed selling Osimhen for around €50 million, but the fee was pushed higher, with more than €20 million added through allegedly inflated valuations of additional players.
The Tribunal in Rome sought trial for false accounting last month, with prosecutors Lorenzo Del Giudice and Giorgio Ornano already requesting that President Aurelio De Laurentiis and CEO Andrea Chiavelli stand trial for alleged irregularities committed between 2019 and 2021.
Away from Osimhen’s move, Napoli are also under trial over the 2019 transfer of Kostas Manolas from AS Roma.
In February, the Roma Public Prosecutor’s Office claimed that “image capital gains” may have been created during the process, suggesting potential manipulation of financial statements.
The decision of the preliminary hearing to prosecute was met with surprise by De Laurentiis’ legal team.
Lawyers Gaetano Scalise, Fabio Fulgeri and Lorenzo Contrada described the development as “stunning.”
According to reports, the Italian agency ANSA confirmed that the first hearing in the trial involving De Laurentiis and Chiavelli will take place on 2 December 2026.
Napoli have since issued a statement expressing their “bewilderment” at the indictment, maintaining that their technical team had clearly demonstrated transparency in both accounting and transfer evaluations.
De Laurentiis’ lawyer, Fabio Fulgerio, speaking on Radio DRC, defended his client against the allegations involving the budgets for the Manolas and Osimhen deals.
“We are very disappointed with the decision of the GUP. We were confident that the evidence brought to the attention of the judge was quite clear and that the same would help in our defence.
“The evaluation of the sports justice was different in Naples. Inter bought a couple of Roma players, but the prosecutors in Milan demanded the filing and concluded there were no irregularities. Napoli didn’t have the same luck and the same fate.
“I’m sure we’ll come out on top. Roma are being investigated, even though Atalanta were acquitted, despite both of us being investigated for the same thing.
“I believe in the good faith of the magistrates, and I think we should all believe it.
“President De Laurentiis took it peacefully because the indictment is among the possibilities of the trial.
“Many may think the President is guilty, but no one has been convicted. The process is just about to begin, but we’re confident the result will be positive,” Fulgerio said.
