Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed he turned down the chance to sign Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic, prior to buying Lille’s Victor Osimhen.
Nigerian international Osimhen agreed a club record €50m move to the Stadio San Paolo last week, with Polish international Arkadiusz Milik expected to leave before the start of next season.
Despite agreeing a deal for Osimhen, the outspoken De Laurentiis confirmed Jovic was on their list of targets, but he opted against a move for the Serbian.
“We met with Ramadani (Jovic’s agent) and we could have reached a deal for him, or Zenit’s Sardar Azmoun,” he told an interview with Corriere dello Sport, reported via Diario AS.
“However, as the option for Osimhen became more concrete, we went for him.”
Despite the potential for a move to Naples collapsing, Jovic will remain at the centre of Real Madrid transfer news ahead of the 2020-21 season.
The former Eintracht Frankfurt man has endured a low-key start to life in Madrid, with off field controversies also damaging his reputation at the club in recent months.
Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan are still reportedly tracking him, ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure this summer, alongside clubs in England and France.
