Torino president Urbano Cairo admits he overpaid for Simone Verdi.

Toro coughed up €22m to sign the winger from Napoli.

“We finished seventh and chose Verdi right away," he told Tuttosport.

“I asked Napoli, through my friends Branchini and De Laurentiis, whom I called personally. It was a very wrong move on my part because if you contact a President in person, they make you pay more.

“So much so that [De Laurentiis] told me they couldn't sell him until they found a replacement. We also considered some foreign options, but Verdi was our man.

“We took him in the last few minutes of the transfer window, making a major effort. In any case, I gave [Napoli] a €22m gift that I've never even given to my wife."