De Laurentiis hints at Kvaratskhelia regret and addresses Conte future
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed he considers resisting the sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in 2024 a "great mistake," while also addressing the future of manager Antonio Conte. The comments came in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, where De Laurentiis reflected on the club's recent transfer strategy and the ongoing speculation linking Conte with the Italian national team job.
De Laurentiis disclosed that at the start of Conte's tenure, the club received a combined offer of €200m from Paris Saint-Germain and other clubs for both Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen. According to the president, Conte advised him to sell Osimhen but pleaded to keep Kvaratskhelia. "It was a great error, because then I had problems both with his father and with his agent," De Laurentiis stated, referencing the protracted and public contract negotiations with the Georgian winger that dominated headlines last year. The president noted, however, that the subsequent €150m sale of Osimhen to Chelsea meant the situation ultimately worked out financially.
The future of Kvaratskhelia, who has been a star performer since his arrival in 2022, remains a constant topic of speculation. His current contract runs until 2027, but elite clubs continue to monitor his situation. De Laurentiis's rare admission of regret is likely to fuel further transfer rumours in the coming months, though no active bids are currently reported.
Shifting to the dugout, De Laurentiis expressed firm belief that Conte would not leave the club in the lurch amid links to the Italy managerial position. "Antonio Conte is a very serious man. He has a contract with me, he would never abandon me at the last minute," De Laurentiis said. He added that any departure would need to be immediate to avoid damaging the project. "He would kill his creation if he abandoned it at the last minute. Unless he decides to leave immediately, then I would have time in these months to find someone else."
The president downplayed the immediacy of any move to the national team, pointing out that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) currently lacks a president to make such an appointment, with elections due in June. De Laurentiis also recounted the origins of his relationship with Conte, describing a fateful fishing trip in the Maldives a decade ago where the coach's football philosophy captivated him like "a writer describing an incredible film to make."
These revelations come with Napoli in a period of transition, having rebuilt their squad following the Scudetto-winning season of 2022-23. The club's strategy under De Laurentiis has long balanced sporting ambition with financial pragmatism, making the reflection on the Kvaratskhelia decision a notable insight into the challenges of that balance. For now, the focus remains on the current campaign, with Conte expected to see out the season as the club aims to secure Champions League qualification.
