Napoli midfield contracts: Anguissa, Lobotka and De Bruyne until 2027, McTominay awaits clearance

The contract countdown has begun for Napoli's midfield. According to Corriere dello Sport, Frank Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka and Kevin De Bruyne are tied to the club until 2027, while Scott McTominay has an extra year, until 2028. Lobotka and De Bruyne both have an option to extend by a further season; Anguissa does not, making his the most urgent case.

McTominay, the priciest negotiation

Talks with his agents have been going on for months, and both sides want to continue together. Over the summer, though, the numbers were far apart: the Scotsman's camp was pushing for 2030, two seasons beyond his current deal, with wages between 8 and 9 million a year. Too much for the club's budget. «It's not simple, but we're trying», sporting director Manna said on 5 September, ahead of Inter-Napoli.

The renewal has since taken a back seat. McTominay underwent surgery for a benign cardiac arrhythmia and is now waiting for medical clearance, with the aim of seeing him back on the pitch when the league resumes. Contract talks will pick up again later: there is still time, but both sides need to move.

What this means for fantasy managers

None of the contracts expire before 2027, so they do not change who takes the field this season. The news that actually matters for fantasy managers is the health update. McTominay is Napoli's highest-priced midfielder on our price list, at 27 credits, and without medical clearance he cannot play. Until he gets it, the department's weight stays on De Bruyne, Anguissa and Lobotka.

De Bruyne in particular is delivering: his price has climbed to 17, two points above his season-opening value, with the latest rise coming after matchday four. Anguissa is priced at 10. Anyone with McTominay on their roster should keep an eye on his clearance news during the international break before fielding him again.

De Bruyne and the City case

The Belgian has also been drawn into another debate, far from Naples. The ruling that found Manchester City guilty on 114 charges for the 2009-2018 period has reopened the discussion about the titles won in those years, and Jamie Carragher, speaking on Sky, specifically named De Bruyne. According to the former Liverpool defender, anyone who played for that City side should be furious, since part of their career risks carrying an asterisk. Carragher went as far as suggesting the wages offered to the Belgian were inflated by the system City was found to have breached, and called for the titles to be stripped.

The ruling concerns the club, not the players, and it changes nothing for fantasy football.