Auriemma blames Napoli's misfiring attack on a missing transfer chief
The journalist says six goals in four league games trace back to the club's failure to replace Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia with reinforcements of the same level.
Napoli have scored six goals in four Serie A games this season, only three of them from strikers, and for Raffaele Auriemma the numbers are no coincidence. Writing on X, the journalist pointed to what he called "the original sin" of Giuntoli's departure as sporting director: Giuntoli had signed Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia for a combined €60m cash, two players later sold on for just over €70m each — the same fee Milan paid for Gonçalo Ramos.
In their place came Lukaku, described by Auriemma as "close to the end of his professional road", and Højlund, a €50m signing who is so far the only Napoli forward to have scored more than once this season. The comparison that stings most is with Malen, bought by Roma for half Højlund's price and already averaging 1.5 goals a game.
Read also Corriere dello Sport: Napoli have Serie A's oldest squad
On Thursday 17 September, Auriemma had already criticised the €430m spent during the Conte years; on Friday 18 September he shifted his target to the missing figure in the boardroom: "Until De Laurentiis brings in a top-level transfer chief, the club will keep overspending on players who don't make a difference."
Source: MondoNapoli
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