Napoli formally confirmed to have reached agreement on the contract renewals of Alex Meret and Alessio Zerbin. The goalkeeper is now tied to the club until 2024, with an option for one further year. His previous deal was set to expire at the end of the current season. Instead, the youngster signed a five-year one.
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Tuttomercatoweb), the shot-stopper will double his salary and earn €2M annually. It will further rise if the clause is activated. The Azzurri searched for a new top option after failing to come to terms with David Ospina last summer. They pursued Kepa Arrizabalaga and especially Keylor Navas.
At one point, Meret even looked set to join Spezia because he wanted to play consistently, but Napoli bided time and eventually handed him the job, mainly because PSG and the Costa Rican international didn’t strike a deal on a severance package. The 25-year-old joined in 2018 but has never been a full-time starter before. Instead, Zerbin has been at the club since he was 16. He has made five appearances so far.
The Partenopei will now focus on the negotiation with Stanislav Lobotka. The talks are in their final stages. The parties should tack on two more years, pushing the expiration date to 2026, while the salary should increase to €3M per season, Sky Italy informs.
Our Take on Meret and Napoli
The Azzurri are fortuitously reaping the benefits as they really backed their way into this outcome. They tried hard to find a veteran as they weren’t sure the Italian goalie was up to snuff. Instead, a bit surprisingly given how he fared in the past, he’s been totally reliable, and that saved them some bucks.
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