Napoli Threaten Legal Action Over Failed Jesper Lindstrøm Transfer to Schalke
SSC Napoli has responded with unusual force to the breakdown of Jesper Lindstrøm’s intended move to Schalke 04. The Italian club has accused the newly promoted Bundesliga side of permitting “false press information” to spread and has reserved its right to initiate legal proceedings.
The 26-year-old Danish international had already traveled to Gelsenkirchen and was anticipated to complete a medical examination in preparation for an initial loan deal. Reports indicated that the agreement was set to include a €5 million purchase clause, which would automatically become binding if Lindstrøm met a certain appearance threshold and Schalke managed to avoid relegation.
However, Schalke withdrew from the transaction on Monday. Initial German media reports suggested that Napoli had attempted to alter the agreed terms, insisting on a mandatory purchase obligation instead of the purchase option that Schalke favored. The Serie A club has now publicly refuted this version of events.
Napoli Disputes Reports Surrounding the Lindstrøm Deal
“SSC Napoli wishes to clarify the circumstances that led to the failure of Jesper Lindstrøm’s transfer to Schalke 04 following the publication of false information in the press,” the statement from the Italian club began.
Napoli asserted that the clubs had exchanged written correspondence regarding the general contractual conditions on Sunday, without any disputes arising over the fee or payment schedule.
“After written correspondence took place yesterday concerning the general contractual conditions, without the financial terms of the agreement or the payment methods ever being questioned, the German club informed us today at 1 pm that some of the proposed clauses were unacceptable,” Napoli continued.
The Italian club further claimed that Schalke’s stance shifted after two players, Robin Gosens and Dejan Ljubicic, sustained injuries during the weekend’s friendly victory. Gosens is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, while Ljubicic’s injury is considered less severe.
“This decision was made against the backdrop of changed technical and sporting requirements following injuries sustained by two players over the weekend, which necessitated an adjustment to the transfer strategy,” Napoli stated.
Napoli Claims They Accepted Schalke’s Proposal
According to Napoli’s account of the timeline, the club responded just 22 minutes after Schalke raised its objections, indicating its readiness to accept the German club’s revised contract terms.
“At 1:22 pm, SSC Napoli sent a reply in which it reiterated that these were detailed changes concerning the structure of the transaction,” the statement added. “Nevertheless, SSC Napoli showed understanding for the German club’s altered technical and sporting requirements and would have been prepared to accept the contractual version proposed by Schalke.”
Napoli maintained that no further response was received until 5:32 pm, at which point Schalke formally terminated negotiations due to “changed priorities in the construction of the squad.”
The Serie A runners-up believe this sequence of events contradicts suggestions that the transfer failed because Napoli was unwilling to accommodate Schalke’s demands.
Napoli Reserves the Right to Pursue Legal Action
Napoli concluded their statement by reserving the right to bring the matter before the appropriate authorities “to protect its rights.”
This highly unusual public dispute marks a dramatic end to negotiations that had been ongoing for several weeks. Reports first emerged of Schalke’s interest in a Lindstrøm loan on July 20, followed by news that the former Eintracht Frankfurt attacker was close to returning to the Bundesliga and had arrived for his medical.
Lindstrøm has now been informed that the transfer will not proceed and is expected to return to Italy. Meanwhile, Schalke is reportedly re-evaluating their transfer priorities in light of Gosens’ injury.
There are also speculations that Schalke is on the verge of signing Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe from Eintracht Frankfurt.
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