Napoli CEO Aurelio de Laurentiis has confirmed that manager Luciano Spalletti wants to depart the club at the end of the season.

Speculation about Spalletti’s future is ongoing, with there talk of how he wants to leave the club and has already informed the players of his decision. De Laurentiis already searching for a replacement but is ready to offer Spalletti a new deal, but that isn’t something which interests the manager and he wants to depart.

De Laurentiis was recently a guest at Che Tempo Che Fa (via TMW) and he revealed that Spalletti wants to leave and he would be willing to let him leave for free as well.

He said: “Spalletti is a free man. When someone says he thinks he’s achieved his best and wants to take a gap year, it’s right to leave him free. He told me he had a contract for another year, but he wanted to stop. I could never tell him no? He gave us so much and I thank him.”

The club CEO, who has been vital to the club’s recruitment and planning, also spoke about the Scudetto win. He stated: “Yes, I found myself in a press conference at the beginning of June, we had sent away many players who had finished their cycle in Naples even if not everyone was of the same idea. They asked me what I was thinking of doing and I said I thought I could win the Scudetto. There was general dismay, even on the part of Spalletti who did not yet know who we had bought.”

It has been reported that De Laurentiis views Luis Enrique as a possible replacement for Spalletti and contact has already been made for the Spaniard. Other names on the shortlist are Thiago Motta, Vincenzo Italiano and Porto boss Sergio Conceicao.

Kaustubh Pandey | GIFN