The proposal, made by a consortium of American investors, would have represented a record valuation for the club and significantly exceeded Football Benchmark’s May 2025 estimate of around €1.1bn.
According to reports in Corriere dello Sport, the group behind the bid was led by Italian-American businessman Matt Rizzetta, president of Napoli Basket and founder of Underdog Global Partners.
The proposed project reportedly aimed to develop a multi-sport hub in Naples, combining football, basketball and wider infrastructure investment.
Despite weeks of speculation and discussions, negotiations never progressed to the formal due diligence stage.
De Laurentiis, who rescued Napoli from bankruptcy in 2004 and transformed the club into a Scudetto-winning force, remains committed to leading the club into its centenary era rather than cashing out.