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.