Napoli seem ready to part company with another of their old guard, as it’s reported Piotr Zielinski will only be offered a new contract if he accepts a pay cut.
The Partenopei are running away at the top of the Serie A table, despite losing big names like Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens, David Ospina and Lorenzo Insigne over the summer.
That renovation project went so well that President Aurelio De Laurentiis is eager to keep the process going in future, cutting costs and bringing down the average age of the squad.
According to Il Mattino newspaper, De Laurentiis wants to set up an overall salary cap of €75m per season.
That means a player like Poland international Zielinski would have to take a pay cut to a maximum of €3.3m per season, a reduction from the current €3.5m wages.
His current deal is due to expire in June 2024, so a sale would be planned over the summer.
Zielinski has repeatedly been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Liverpool and Everton among those interested.
One of the most underrated footballers in european football. If he was English, French or Brazilian, he would be earning double in England or at another top club.