- Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia flying for Napoli
- Have attracted multitude of potential suitors
- De Laurentiis admits "never say never" regarding sale
WHAT HAPPENED? The Neapolitans are flying high at the top of Serie A, 15 points clear after 23 games and in pole position to land their first Scudetto in 33 years. Key to that progress have been the duo of Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia, who have 49 goal contributions between them already this season which has earned them a host of admirers around Europe. De Laurentiis revealed he was preparing fresh contracts for the pair given the recent flurry of interest, although admitted offers may arrive he might not be able to refuse.
WHAT THEY SAID: “These new players have proved to be reliable. The thing that I like is that this side goes beyond single players. The fact that we now have Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia, Kim [Min-jae] and other players in midfield makes means this team will last in time,” the Napoli president told TNT Mexico. "I am very good at making contracts, so when they [Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia] come to me, they are blocked, so keeping them here won’t be difficult. However, never say never. Sometimes there are offers you can’t refuse, so you never know. To me, we’ll see them shine for a long time.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: De Laurentiis was speaking after his side's 2-0 win over Frankfurt on Tuesday in which Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen both starred yet again. The Nigerian scored his second Champions League goal in four matches while the Georgian initially missed a first-half penalty, before redeeming himself with an exquisite back-heeled assist for Giovanni Di Lorenzo's strike.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
Getty ImagesNext Match
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR NAPOLI? Having already put one foot in the Champions League quarter-final finals, Luciano Spalletti's side will turn to domestic affairs, when they travel to mid-table Empoli on Saturday.