Napoli say that they have turned down a €55m offer for striker Edinson Cavani, whose 13 league goals this season helped Napoli end the year in fifth place, one point out of a Champions League spot.
Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis told Radio Monte:
“Cavani is a warrior who embodies all that’s best of the Napoli spirit and our supporters. It is because of this I turned down an offer of €55m.”
“Cavani has become the symbol of our resurgence. If I have kept him here it is not because of money, but a love for the club,”
While De Laurentiis does not say who made the offer, theThere are only three teams in Europe who can afford that sort of transfer fee: Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City or Chelsea. PSG look set up-front with Ibra, which leaves one of the two English clubs, with Chelsea being the club that has been linked with Cavani the most.
It’s a tough decision for De Laurentiis. With Cavani in the side, Napoli have a really good chance of finishing the season in the top three of Serie A, and automatically qualifying for the Champions League next season and the €30+m that will mean in additional revenue.
But €55m is a lot of money for any club to turn down, especially one as financially strapped as Napoli. If Chelsea come back with an offer of €60m could Napoli really turn it down?