Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has admitted the Serie A side were offered Cristiano Ronaldo before he joined Juventus, but decided against signing him because it would bankrupt the club.
The 33-year-old joined Juve on a four-year contract that will see him pocket €30 million (£26.5m/$35m) per season after they agreed to pay Real Madrid €100m (£88m/$117m) plus €12m (£10.5/$14m) more in additional charges.
The signing of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been hailed as a big boost for Italian football by Napoli's new coach Carlo Ancelotti, who won the Champions League with Ronaldo at Madrid.