Soon-to-be-former Serie A champions Napoli have triggered an extension clause in Alex Meret’s deal to prevent him from leaving south Italy on a free transfer. According to Fabrizio Romano’s latest update, Aurelio De Laurentiis has activated this option to buy himself more time to negotiate a new contract with his first-choice goalkeeper.
Meret’s deal at Napoli was due to expire at the end of the season. Despite being locked in talks for a while, the parties have failed to find common ground, even though the 27-year-old has a guaranteed starting berth.
But after featuring in 70% of Partenopei’s matches in 2023/24, the Italian stopper has granted the club permission to extend his stay for one more year. Napoli will not stop there, as they plan to hold further discussions with Meret’s agents over a new contract.
It’s now up to De Laurentiis to present the keeper’s camp with a satisfying offer. Per Romano, new meetings could take place in the coming months, with Napoli looking to obtain Meret’s signature before the summer transfer window opens for business.
Should things go sideways, Napoli will still have a chance to sell the ex-Udinese man for a reasonable transfer fee. However, the club would ideally keep hold of their first-team regular. Meret has nailed his place between the sticks after David Ospina’s exit in 2022.
He has since been the first choice in goal, with Luciano Spalletti selecting him over Pierluigi Gollini during last season’s title-winning campaign. Unfortunately, plenty has changed at Napoli since his exit, which could result in Stanislav Lobotka’s summer departure.
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