Napoli President to Face Trial Over Osimhen Transfer Accounting Case

A trial date has been fixed for Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis over allegations of false accounting linked to Victor Osimhen’s 2020 transfer from Lille. Napoli paid €76.3 million for the striker, who scored 76 goals in 133 appearances before joining Galatasaray this summer.

The case resurfaced after leaked WhatsApp messages reportedly showed irregularities in the deal. According to La Repubblica, Lille initially proposed a €50m fee, but the amount later increased with “artificially inflated” add-ons involving extra players. Prosecutors allege false accounting took place between 2019 and 2021, and have also included CEO Andrea Chiavelli in the case.

Napoli are simultaneously facing scrutiny over the 2019 transfer of Kostas Manolas, with the Roma Public Prosecutor’s Office claiming “image capital gains” may have been created.

Club lawyers described the decision to prosecute as “stunning”. ANSA reports the first hearing will take place on 2 December 2026. Napoli later issued a statement expressing “bewilderment”, insisting their team had proven “the transparency of the company’s work”.

De Laurentiis’ lawyer Fabio Fulgerio said, “We are very disappointed… We’re confident the result will be positive,” adding that the president “took it peacefully” as the process begins.

Reports suggest Osimhen himself was unaware of many transfer details at the time due to mourning his father’s death.