Elseid Hysaj signs 5 year contract extension

Napoli have been busy locking up players to new contracts of late, and you can officially add another one to the list: Elseid Hysaj signed a five-year contract extension to remain with Napoli until 2021 on Wednesday.

Financial terms are, obviously, unavailable, but it’s a certainty that he’s getting a hefty raise on the relative pittance he’s made for the last season-plus after signing from Empoli — where, to be fair, he made even less. It’s also believed that they gave him a sizable release clause as a response to the significant interest clubs showed in the young fullback last summer, but one that can only be triggered by foreign clubs.

How Hysaj fits into Napoli’s long-term plans may not be completely clear, but what is clear is that they value him enough to give him a raise and keep him locked up as long as possible. There’s a degree of gamesmanship involved, to be sure — this contract increases the club’s leverage in potential transfer negotiations next summer — but it’s also a display of trust and value from Napoli that can’t be overlooked.