It is easy to sell Naples to wealthy footballers seeking a fresh start this summer. The city is bathed in sunshine, the Mediterranean Sea beckons, and the recent Scudetto triumph still lingers in the air. “If you are rich, Naples is amazing,” says journalist Vincenzo Credendino. “One day you take a boat to Capri, another day you go to Amalfi or Pompeii. You eat well, there is plenty to do. Naples, for the wealthy, has always been very attractive.”
Real estate agents have long directed newcomers to the luxury villas on the Posillipo hillside. But a recent trend has seen players lured to Napoli by president Aurelio de Laurentiis arrive from the Premier League. Scott McTominay, who joined from Manchester United, became a cult hero in Campania after leading Napoli’s Serie A title charge. Now the film producer-turned-club owner has returned to add six-time Premier League winner Kevin de Bruyne to Antonio Conte’s squad.
De Bruyne joins Romelu Lukaku and Billy Gilmour as players poached from Premier League payrolls since Conte arrived last summer. And more could follow. Former Manchester City teammate Jack Grealish—a £100m signing from Aston Villa four years ago—has been linked, along with United winger Alejandro Garnacho. Credendino also suggests interest in United and England forward Jadon Sancho, who spent last season on loan at Chelsea.
“People in Napoli think Aurelio de Laurentiis is going crazy,” laughs Credendino. “In our minds, he is the president who tries to win, but always puts finances first, careful with the economics and big on player trading. That was Napoli’s core business. Now things have changed. He is smelling the blood of his opponents, of his enemies.”
Napoli won Serie A last season for the fourth time in their history and the second time in three seasons. The first two titles, in 1987 and 1990, came during the Diego Maradona era. In 2023, Luciano Spalletti ended a 33-year drought before Conte guided I Partenopei to last season’s crown. Conte’s side finished one point above Inter Milan, who lost successful boss Simone Inzaghi to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal earlier this month. Atalanta, who finished third, also saw long-term head coach Gian Piero Gasperini depart for Roma. Juventus are undergoing a restructuring, while AC Milan will not compete in Europe next season. As their rivals stall, Napoli are looking to capitalise.
“Napoli is very stable. They plan ahead, so they have the money to convince a player like De Bruyne to embrace this new adventure,” explains Federico Mari, a Milan-based international football executive specialising in transfer strategies and club acquisitions. According to Transfermarkt, Napoli rank 30th on a list of the world’s most valuable clubs—below 15 Premier League sides and fifth among Italian clubs. They went bankrupt in 2004, dropping to the third tier, before De Laurentiis acquired them and guided them back to Serie A by 2007. They have been European regulars ever since, winning the Coppa Italia three times and finally those long-awaited league titles.
“Napoli is a very well-run club,” says Mari. “For the De Laurentiis family, Napoli is their main family business, and over the past 10-15 years they have managed to do well both on and off the pitch.” Mari highlights the sales of Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus for £75.3m, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for £59m, as examples of their shrewd dealings.
