Lorenzo Insigne’s agent reveals Napoli offered their captain a contract extension with a 50% pay cut and expects the club to take a step forward towards the player.
Insigne sees his contract expire at the end of the season and several top European clubs, including Inter, Chelsea and Barcelona are reportedly interested in securing his services.
Insigne is on a €5m-a-year deal at Napoli, but the Partenopei have offered him a pay cut.
His agent Vincenzo Pisacane spoke to Il Roma, revealing the offer from the Azzurri for their captain.
“I’m hearing too many journalists saying Lorenzo rejected generous offers from Napoli and that De Laurentiis offered him the maximum he could,” Pisacane said.
“My relationship with De Laurentiis is great, but I must clarify that the contract offer comes with a 50% pay cut. I am an agent and I must defend the captain at any time.
“Usually, you offer more money when you want to extend a contract. Just see the treatment for players who extended before Lorenzo.
“Needless to say, Lorenzo was surprised [by Napoli offer]. We are always in contact with De Laurentiis. There is mutual respect with Aurelio, but he knows that the proposal must be increased and not cut.
“We are just at the beginning of negotiations and a few stupid fans are calling him a mercenary. I expect the club to take a step towards Insigne.
“Everyone has to make his part. I don’t want to affect the relationship between the club and us, but I am reading too much fake news and I had to clarify a few things.
“Insigne is a professional and is training well as if he had ten years left in his contract. Even Kalidou Koulibaly said he’s never seen so much commitment for somebody who could leave in June.”
Insigne is a product of Napoli academy and has scored 114 goals in 411 games across all competitions with the Partenopei.
Earlier last week, president De Laurentiis said Insigne’s potential exit from Napoli would have been ‘his choice’ but didn’t reveal the offer made to the Partenopei captain.
Insigne played a key role in Italy’s win at the Euros over the summer scoring two goals in six games.
Rinnovo #Insigne, l'agente: 'Il #Napoli ha offerto quasi la metà di ciò che guadagna. Qualche stupido tifoso lo chiama mercenario…' https://t.co/sIerv2oBid pic.twitter.com/yFRhUai319
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) November 10, 2021
They’ve offered him a pay rise with a pay cut?
ADL is a scumbag, this is the top player in Italy and responsible in the italy Euro 2020. Probably the top player in Europe. Fans are mad at him they should mad at the Owner for over paying for player like Oshimen who is going to be rendered useless as season drags on. These Owners are destroying Seria A and the fans are stupid for blaming players its the FIGC and it Owners that are degrading the Italian system and youth. You reporters are the mouthpiece of these Owners/ FIGC and corruption and should be writing about that, instead of Ronaldo and all the other nonsense you print. The fans are’nt any better.
Bringing Osimen into this is not proper. You,too. You are bias.
30 years old, not exactly on his peak, with 5m is one of the best paid guys at Serie A…. do you pretend Napoli pays him even more? And he is not exactly a big performer in big games, he is way overrated. Don’t see a lot of teams offering more when his contract is up…
He is getting old. Lets face it hes on good form but he never evolved into the player everyone expected. Top player in europe? Please hes not even top 10 or the best peforming player in Italy. If he wants a big fat cheque to play out the remainder of his time he’ll have to leave Italy.