Corentin Tolisso has revealed that the pressure of living up to a €30million price tag was ultimately his primary reason for rejecting a close-season switch from Lyon to Napoli.
The Ligue 1 club publically stated in July that Napoli held a "strong interest" in the 22-year-old and reports in some sections of the French and Italian media suggested the player agreed terms.
Tolisso's final decision in the end was to remain at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, snubbing Napoli due to not feeling ready for such a hefty valuation hanging over his head despite the Serie A side being an alluring option.
He told L'Equipe: "I thought about it for two or three days, €30m was a lot and their offer made me think.
"On the other hand, there was a certain amount of pressure in that people would see me as a €30m player. I was also hesitant because of the context.
"We all know that Napoli is a unique city, where football is everything. Staying at Lyon was a good choice, I'm 22 and I still have so much to learn.
"I no longer think about it. The fact that I hesitated was a sign that it wasn't a good choice. I feel good at Lyon, where everyone has faith in me."
‘He instantly popped into our ratings as one of the best U21 midfielders in Europe. The impressive thing is Slot has made him into more of a no.6' Inside Ryan Gravenberch's transformation at Liverpool
‘I don’t think Liverpool would look at Ollie Watkins, a striker isn’t a pressing issue for them – it’s Arsenal who need one’ Former Reds star explains why his old club don’t need an out-and-out forward this summer
