Julian Nagelsmann would have liked to keep Diego Demme
By Laura Brandt
RB Leipzig wouldn't have sold Diego Demme to any other club than Napoli, says Julian Nagelsmann.
| Diego Demme. | Photo: GEPA Pictures/Roger Petzsche |
But as Demme, who was named Diego after Napoli legend Diego Maradona, had the chance of joining his favorite club, Leipzig didn't want to put any obstacles in his way.
"From a footballing point of view, it would clearly have been better to keep him. If Palermo, Lazio or Juve had come knocking for him, we wouldn't have let him go. But, thank God, there are also human aspects to consider," Nagelsmann told Sport Bild and added:
"Napoli are his dream club, we got a good transfer fee for him, and he has signed a contract that will keep him there until he's 33. We wouldn't have been able to offer him four and a half years."
Napoli paid a reported fee of €12 million to bring Demme to Italy.