In the summer of 1995, one of the Italian giants of the time, Lazio, signed Esposito. He spent one season at the Roman club, but could not earn himself a regular spot in the starting XI, due to heavy competition from players such as Aron Winter and Roberto Di Matteo, for the first time in his career. He was subsequently sold to his hometown club Napoli, where he performed decently during the 1996–97 season, before unexpectedly being sold to Hellas Verona in the midst of the league campaign. Following his time in Serie B with Verona, he returned to Napoli the following season, although the club had been relegated in 1998. Esposito's second foray at Napoli in Serie B did not result in a promotion, and he left for Serie A club Perugia at the end of the season. In the three coming years following his time with Perugia, Esposito spent his last years in Serie A as a player, with Brescia, playing alongside Roberto Baggio, and Chievo; in total, he played about 172 matches in the top domestic division, scoring 16 goals. Before rounding off his career with several amateur clubs between 2007 and 2012, he also played for three Serie B sides between 2002 and 2007: Ternana, Venezia, and Triestina.