Anguissa's Napoli contract expires in June as renewal talks stall

The midfielder scored the opener in the 3-3 draw with Roma and gives the team balance when he plays. But the gap with the club over a new deal has widened, according to Arena Napoli's information.

by Rosaria CimminoMonday 26 October, 16:22 CET· 2 hours ago

Anguissa con la maglia del SSC Napoli — Foto: sscnapolistore.it

Anguissa's contract runs out in June 2027 and there is no renewal. Talks that looked close to done have stalled, and the distance between the two sides is now bigger than before.

Arena Napoli understands there was a draft deal to extend to 2028, with an option for the following season, at around €4m a year. Anguissa currently earns about €2.5m plus bonuses. Then the talks stopped.

The demands are now much higher: €6m for a four-year deal. The club sees such figures as against its own philosophy, and the fact that Anguissa is approaching 31 does not help the case for such a long commitment. According to the file we have, the gap between the offer of €3.6m and the request of around €6m is almost €2.5m a year.

On the pitch, the case for keeping him is clear. He scored the opener with an overhead kick in the 28th minute against Roma, in a 3-3 draw that still leaves a sour taste. Since he came back into the side, the midfield has had a balance it lacked before. He was a key player in the last two league titles and can handle both phases of play without a break.

The club's silence

This raises an uncomfortable question. In the summer Napoli turned down Galatasaray in the hope of agreeing a deal with the player. If in October the talks are frozen and the contract is about to run down, the decision to keep him needed a plan behind it.

The club's silence is the other concern. Nobody has told supporters whether the renewal is still a priority or whether the club is already looking elsewhere. Zorgane, of Union Saint-Gilloise, is mentioned as a possible replacement.

The timing is awkward. Napoli are 10th with 11 points after eight games, 11 points behind Lazio, and have conceded seven goals in their last three matches. A midfielder who gives that team balance is an asset to protect, not a problem to leave unresolved. Anguissa has played six games this season in the league and Champions League, 388 minutes in all. That is not many, but enough to show the difference.

Napoli play Monza at the U-Power Stadium on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET). After two starts in a row, Anguissa could be rested with Juventus and then Porto in the Champions League to follow.

On the contract, there is not much time. The transfer window reopens in January, and the club will have to tell us what it wants to do with its midfielder.