Napoli rejected €98 million worth of offers, says De Laurentiis

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed he turned down €98 million worth of transfer bids from rival clubs over the course of the summer transfer window.

A fifth-placed finish last season means the Partenopei missed out on Champions League football this term, prompting speculation a host of their best players could leave.

However, Napoli held firm to keep hold of star man Gonzalo Higuain, as well as Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne, Jose Callejon, Faouzi Ghoulam and Manolo Gabbiadini.

"Higuain aside, if I had sold the players that were the subject of bids, I would have received €98 million," De Laurentiis told Corriere dello Sport.

Napoli have been prudent in their acquisitions, with Vlad Chiriches arriving from Tottenham in a €6.1m deal and Udinese's Allan joining for an undisclosed fee.

De Laurentiis also added that he attempted to buy two other high-profile names: "We made substantial offers for [Daniele] Rugani and [Alessio] Romagnoli."

Rugani eventually signed for Juventus from Empoli, while Romagnoli left Roma for AC Milan.