McTominay contract talks stall as Napoli and his agent remain far apart

Talks over a new contract for McTominay have stalled, Arena Napoli understands. The news came on the same day supporters voted him Player of the Month for October on the club's official app.

His current deal runs until 30 June 2028 and is worth around €4m net a season. Napoli want to extend it to 2030, but the two sides are clearly apart on money.

His camp, led by the agent Colin Murdock, is said to have opened at €12m. That figure then came down to around €10m and may now drop to €8-9m. Napoli had been working on an improved deal of around €6m plus bonuses, rising to close to €7m. A handshake will not close a gap that size.

More than money

Money is not the only problem. Between September and October the two sides came very close to an agreement. Then the results turned. Napoli lost 2-0 to Juventus and 4-1 to Porto, and on Sunday 8 November they drew 1-1 with Lazio. That leaves us tenth on 15 points, nine behind the fourth place Allegri has set as the target.

The mood around the coach has changed how McTominay sees things. He is happy in Naples. But before he commits until 2030, he wants to know whether the club will fight to win again or is preparing for another transition year.

A renewal that matters as much as January

That leaves an uncomfortable question: what can Napoli tell a player who is asking for a project? The president has promised signings in January and demanded an immediate improvement. But the table shows a squad that struggles both to build attacks and to finish them. McTominay, with 32 goals in 89 appearances for Napoli, is one of the few players lifting the average.

The risk is clear. Without an agreement, his contract would enter its final year in summer 2027. A sale to the highest bidder would then become almost unavoidable, and Real Madrid are among the interested clubs.

Other midfield contracts are already running down. De Bruyne and Anguissa are both under contract until June 2027, and Anguissa's future is already being discussed for January. That is why McTominay's contract matters as much as the list of signings. A good transfer window is not only about buying. It is also about keeping the players who make the difference.

We are waiting for the club to say whether this renewal is a priority or something near the bottom of the list. Torino visit the Maradona on Saturday 21 November at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET). It is the first chance to see whether the project McTominay is asking about exists on the pitch.