Lorenzo Insigne seemed poised to stay at Napoli even without extending his expiring contract. Instead, the management told the captain’s agent that he would be let go with a good enough offer. The club would be content to get €25/30M from his departure, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports. There have not been any bidders yet.
Napoli have not signed anybody yet as president Aurelio De Laurentiis reduced the budget after missing out on Champions League. Kalidou Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz are still with the team. There will be no investments without a prolific sale and the squad would stay as is.
CEO Andrea Chiavelli and Cristiano Giuntoli had a conference call with Insigne’s representative Vincenzo Pisacane Saturday morning. They informed him that he would be put on the market if he did not prolong his deal. The parties are in polar positions on his new salary. The winger currently makes €4.6M and asked for a raise to €6M. Napoli offered €3.5M plus add-ons. The player and the chairman have not spoken directly.
The ball is now in Insigne’s court as he is free to find a new home. The outlet adds that, despite the technical loss, the brass would be fine in such scenario. De Laurentiis still holds a few grudges. He has not forgotten the captain’s role in the mutiny under Carlo Ancelotti. Moreover, he is still bitter about the tie against Verona, which cost them at least €50M. The missed profit forced the Partenopei to modify their transfer market strategies drastically.