Agent: 'Napoli were happy to sell Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 02 August 2016

The spat between Gonzalo Higuain and Aurelio De Laurentiis continues, with the striker's agent claiming that Napoli were more than happy to sell him this summer.

The agent of Gonzalo Higuain has insisted that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis was happy to offload the striker when Juventus made a record-breaking bid.

Higuain was made the third-most expensive player last week when switching between the Serie A clubs in a £75.3m deal - also the biggest transfer in Italian football history.

After completing his move to Napoli's title rivals, the Argentina international - who claimed he was forced out of the club - came under fire from many of his former side's supporters and was branded an "actor" by De Laurentiis.

However, representative and brother Nicolas Higuain has hit back at the Napoli chief by suggesting that he was more than happy to collect the lofty transfer sum.

"Aurelio De Laurentiis said Gonzalo is a great actor," he told Sportitalia. "I think instead the president of Napoli is. I think the president of Napoli was very happy to have received €90m from Juventus.

"For Gonzalo, Juve is a challenge, because there is now the chance to fight for the Scudetto and the Champions League. Every person in this game defends their own interests."

Higuain enjoyed a memorable season last time out in the Italian top flight when scoring 36 times to help the Partenopei to second place.