Report: Cristiano Giuntoli aiming to leave Napoli by next week

What ... you thought Aurelio De Laurentiis was going to just let the guy who constructed his Scudetto-winning side depart Napoli with the utmost of ease and without a fight?

Well, that was never going to happen.

Especially where Cristiano Guintoli wants to go.

But, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday, Guintoli’s goal is to both settle things with Napoli — where he has a year left on his contract — and then sign with Juventus to become the Bianconeri’s new sporting director by the end of next week. Considering just how much needs to be decided on and figured out at the job that he wants to take in relatively short order — described by La Gazzetta as “a clear agenda with tight deadlines” — the sooner Guintoli can figure things out with De Laurentiis the better for Juventus.

It has been previously reported that Juventus and Guintoli have agreed to a five-year deal.

Despite the potential difficulties that are part of dealing with and negotiating an early exit with De Laurentiis, La Gazzetta says that Juve are “cautiously optimistic” that Guintoli can figure things out with Napoli’s owner and then seal his move to Turin shortly thereafter.

And considering that Guintoli has plans on who he wants to bring with him to Juventus — most notably fellow Napoli front office members Giuseppe Pompilio and Stefano Stefanelli — it’s not just one man’s next employer that is currently waiting to be finalized at the moment.

La Gazzetta says that if all goes according to plan and Guintoli is able to break away from Napoli, he could complete his move to Juventus as early as Wednesday. And if that does happen, then it is likely that one of the first people he meets with is manager Max Allegri, who is very much the No. 1 topic of discussion considering his lack of success during his second stint in Turin but might not be let go due to being halfway through his massive four-year contract.

If things don’t work out and Guintoli can’t negotiate an exit with Napoli, Juventus Next Gen sporting director Giovanni Manna has been mentioned as a possible name who could fill the sporting director role for the senior team.