Napoli seal Marianucci and Rrahmani renewals, Meret and Lobotka still open

Giovanni Manna has locked in extensions for the ex-Empoli centre-back and the Kosovan defender until 2029. Now the sporting director has to unblock two more files, with one far more urgent than the other.

by Gennaro SanninoThursday 1 October, 20:17 CET· 3 hours ago

Rinnovi Napoli, Marianucci e Rrahmani chiusi: restano aperti i casi Meret e Lobotka — Grafica Arena Napoli

Two cases closed, two still open. The official announcement for Marianucci and Rrahmani is only a matter of time, but Giovanni Manna's renewals file does not end there: Meret and Lobotka remain unresolved, and the two are not equally urgent.

On Lobotka, the club can afford to take its time. His contract includes an automatic one-year extension, so there is no need to sit down at the table immediately. Meret is a different story: the goalkeeper's contract is currently expiring, which makes finding an agreement more pressing.

The precedent the club points to for calm is 2022-23. Meret started as first-choice goalkeeper through the Scudetto-winning season, the second star, with his contract running down, and it never affected his performances. The message is that, this time too, the club does not see the negotiation as an emergency to be solved at any cost.

On the pitch, Meret is working his way back after the injury that kept him out. A recent report has him nearing full recovery, with Milinković-Savić holding down the starting spot in the meantime, including the away game at Fiorentina. Getting his place back between the posts and getting his signature on a new deal are two contests being played out in parallel at Castel Volturno.

Lobotka, for his part, remains the first-choice playmaker in Napoli's midfield even in a season that has so far fallen short of expectations. His contract runs to 30 June 2027 before any option kicks in, and it is not something Napoli feel they need to address urgently.

With Rrahmani secured until 2029 and Marianucci's extension already agreed, the pressure now shifts entirely to the two remaining cases. Manna will have to decide which to prioritise, knowing that time, unlike with Lobotka, is starting to run short on Meret.