Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has been formally sent to trial after an Italian court said he falsified the figures in the transfer of Victor Osimhen to the club.

Osimhen linked up with Napoli from Ligue 1 outfit Lille in 2020.

Goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis and three Primavera players, Manzi, Palmieri and Liguori moved to Lille as part of the deal.

The valuations of the four players according to prosecutors were artificially inflated to improve Napoli’s financial position.

According to Tuttosport, De Laurentiis’ long-time associate Andrea Chiavelli and Napoli will also face trial.

The trial is scheduled to begin on December, 2 2026.

De Laurentiis’ legal team expressed strong criticism of the decision, calling the indictment “surprising” and arguing the case should have been dismissed.

“We are absolutely astonished,” said lawyers Gaetano Scalise, Fabio Fulgeri and Lorenzo Contrada.

“There were clear grounds to acquit the defendants. The Guardia di Finanza misapplied accounting principles, and even the public prosecutors stated that Napoli did not obtain any advantage from these operations.”