As one of the great Italian football clubs, Napoli carry a support all around the world. Their reputation as one of the rebellious clubs in the southern part of Italy makes them a romantic choice for many football fans. So, too, does the fact that Napoli was the home of Diego Maradona for the best years of his club career. For that reason, then, the Naples giants tend to get more support and interest than clubs with more impressive trophy hauls.
However, after the club faced financial oblivion, they were saved by Aurelio De Laurentiis. The Italian movie producer put his money into the club and helped them return to top-flight prominence after going bankrupt. Indeed, he has seen them become a consistent challenger for UEFA Champions League spots, and even the title on occasion. With Copa Italia wins, too, the Partenopei have enjoyed a fine run under the Italian. Reports in Italy, though, suggest that a deal could be done to sell the club to American investors.
Many American owners have bought into Italian football clubs, with the links between Italy and America very strong. Sixth Street are named as one of the parties interested in buying the club out. However, reports also suggest that ‘ADL’ is not keen to make the sale, and would value the club at as much as €700m to put off people making an offer.
With the Italian growing in age and with Napoli unable to make the final step towards wining the Scudetto, though, it is claimed that he could be talked into selling the club. It would be an interesting development, and would follow the likes of AS Roma, AC Milan, and Fiorentina as having US-based ownership.
Will Napoli be sold in the near future?
Though the current ownership would be happy to stay, any offers around the €700m mark would be hard to say no to. It would also be a remarkable fee to pay for a club who was on a hiding to nothing just 20 years ago. Steady growth and improvement in the De Laurentiis era, though, has seen Napoli emerge as one of the better run clubs in the Italian game.
A host of quality players and academy graduates have made them a team worth watching for many seasons now. However, it would be fair to say that the Naples club probably have some work to do if they wish to finally win the league. Part of the problem comes from financial limits, which has played a part in the likes of Lorenzo Insigne arranging a deal to move to the MLS in the summer.
With new investment, Napoli might be able to better bridge the gap. It would also improve the chances of finding a positive solution to the clubs stadium conundrum. At the moment, though, with so much up in the air, there is a higher chance of a sale taking place this year than perhaps at any time of the De Laurentiis era.
