Napoli’s midfield has carried five Scudetti between its leading figures, but the next phase is already taking shape away from Sunday afternoons. Frank Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne are tied to contracts that will soon require decisions, even if none of those decisions is yet final.
The club’s immediate task is to protect continuity without losing sight of its wage structure. McTominay is contracted until 2028, while Anguissa and Lobotka are approaching 2027 terms, with Lobotka’s agreement including a further-year option. De Bruyne’s deal also contains an option that could take him to 2028.
Quick facts
- McTominay’s contract runs until 2028, but Napoli and his representatives have discussed a longer agreement.
- His camp sought a two-year extension to 2030 worth €8-9 million per season, a level Napoli consider beyond their budget.
- McTominay underwent surgery for a benign cardiac arrhythmia earlier this month and is awaiting sporting clearance.
- Anguissa is tied to Napoli until 2027 after the club activated an extension option.
- Lobotka’s current arrangement runs to 2027, with Napoli able to extend it unilaterally through 2028.
- De Bruyne signed for two years in 2025, with an option for another season.
McTominay’s case remains the most significant over the longer term. The Scotland midfielder was Serie A’s 2024-25 MVP and a central figure in Antonio Conte’s title-winning side, so there is shared interest in continuing the relationship.
Talks had begun months ago, but the financial gap was clear during the summer. Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna acknowledged before Inter-Napoli on 5 September that an agreement would not be straightforward, saying: “It is not easy, but we are working on it.”
Negotiations then gave way to a more immediate concern when McTominay required an operation for a benign heart rhythm issue. He is now waiting for medical eligibility to resume playing after the international break, and the contract discussions are expected to restart afterwards.
There is no change in the broad intention. McTominay is settled in Naples and Napoli want to keep him, although only on terms the club regard as sustainable. With his present deal not expiring until 2028, there remains room for both sides to find a compromise.
Anguissa’s situation carries greater urgency. The midfielder had been due to leave at the end of this season before Napoli exercised their option for an additional year, moving his expiry to 2027. A summer meeting involving his long-standing agent Maxime Nana and Italian representative Giovanni Branchini did not produce a new agreement.
Contacts have continued, but Napoli have made clear that a renewal must work for both parties. Before Fiorentina-Napoli on 20 September, Manna said that if such a solution could be found, it would be positive; otherwise, the club would have no difficulty parting company at the end of the season.
Anguissa and Lobotka have each won two league titles with Napoli, and Lobotka’s future will also require attention. Napoli can trigger a unilateral option to extend his contract until 2028, avoiding the risk of losing him without a fee, but there has been little recent movement on a broader extension with his representatives.
De Bruyne’s position is less pressing, though it will eventually join the same conversation. His 2025 agreement was signed for two seasons and contains a provision for a third, taking him through 2028 if Napoli choose to activate it.
For now, Napoli are managing recovery, results and contract planning at the same time. The midfield that has defined recent title campaigns is still intact, but each passing week gives the club a clearer view of which pillars can remain in place for the next chapter.
