Barcelona and Tottenham are reportedly in touch with the agent of Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne over the possibility of a summer transfer amid a contract standoff.
According to a report from Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (h/t Daily Mail), Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with the representatives of Lorenzo Insigne, who is into the final year of his contract with Serie A giants Napoli.
A product of the Napoli youth academy, Insigne has been with the Partenopei since 2006. Having had loan stints with Cavese, Foggia and Pescara in the early stages of his career, the forward has been a permanent fixture in the starting XI for most of the past eight years or so at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
To date, Insigne has racked up 397 appearances for Napoli, scoring a total of 109 goals while setting up 85 more for his teammates. During this time, the 30-year-old, who is the club captain currently, has won two Coppa Italia trophies and one Supercoppa Italiana as well. However, heading into the summer, the Italian’s future in Naples has come under the scanner.
Insigne, as things stand, has entered the final year of his £4.3 million per year contract with Napoli. The 30-year-old, who has been one of the standout performers for Italy at the ongoing UEFA Euro 2020, is demanding improved terms before he commits his future at the club, leading to a standoff, given as the club are going through a difficult phase financially.
If Napoli aren’t able to meet his demands, there is a good chance that Insigne could be on the move this summer, that too in a cut-price deal, which has alerted Barcelona as well as Tottenham Hotspur, with both clubs now contacting the agent of the Italian international.
Barcelona have already strengthened their attacking unit this summer with the double signing of Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay. However, another signing could be needed, given as Martin Braithwaite has been linked with an exit while both Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele are also staring at uncertain futures.
Throw in the whole situation surrounding Lionel Messi and his now-expired contract, another attacking addition would be welcome, although, much like Napoli, Barcelona, too, are in a lurch financially and might find it hard to meet Insigne’s wage demands, especially as they look to accommodate Messi’s new deal within the La Liga Fair Play structure.
As for Tottenham, the Premier League giants are looking at a rebuild under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo and sporting director Fabio Paratici. The latter’s arrival, in particular, has seen Spurs get linked with a move to Serie A-based players quite a fair bit, with Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic also emerging as a transfer target this summer.
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The interest in Insigne could be stemming from the uncertain futures of wide players like Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn, who endured underwhelming campaigns last time out, while Erik Lamela is also staring at a potential exit as well. So, even though Tottenham have the left flank secured with Son Heung-min, someone of Insigne’s versatility and goalscoring capability can be a quality addition.
For now, both Tottenham and Barcelona have made contact with the Italian’s agent. However, any move is still some way away and would only arise if contract talks completely stall. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Insigne.
