McTominay contract stand-off carries echoes of Napoli’s Kvaratskhelia saga

NAPLES, ITALY - AUGUST 30: Scott McTominay of Napoli reacts during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Como 1907 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on August 30, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Scott McTominay’s contract situation at Napoli is starting to look uncomfortably familiar for fans of the Partenopei.

According to Il Mattino, via TuttoNapoli, the Scotland midfielder has asked his representatives to reopen talks with the club over a new deal, but an agreement needs to be found quickly. If not, he could be tempted to listen to offers in January, with Real Madrid among the clubs to have sounded out his agents.

The two sides are far apart. McTominay earns around €3m a season, and his camp want more than €8m to extend his deal from June 2028 to 2030. Napoli’s offer in the summer was reportedly closer to €5m. Aurelio De Laurentiis does not see the renewal as a priority with almost two years left to run, but the player’s side wants it settled as soon as possible.

Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio remains optimistic: “McTominay’s renewal is an important piece. The club is already working to try to find an agreement, and I believe that in the end it can be found.”

McTominay and the Kvaratskhelia precedent

Napoli have been here before. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was named Serie A’s best player as the Partenopei won the 2022-23 Scudetto, yet he was still on the €1.5m salary he had arrived on. Napoli offered a substantial rise, reportedly around €5m plus bonuses, amid talk of a valuation above €100m. He turned it down.

In January 2025, with Napoli top of the table and his contract running until 2027, he asked to leave. He was sold to Paris Saint-Germain for €70m plus bonuses, well below the figure once attached to him, and his salary there rose to a reported €9m. Napoli went on to win the title without him.

The parallels are hard to ignore as McTominay was named the league’s best player as Napoli won that 2024-25 Scudetto. He has outgrown his contract, and his camp are asking for a salary far beyond the club’s self-imposed ceiling.

The difference is timing as Kvaratskhelia still had two and a half years left on his deal when he left, while McTominay, who turns 30 in December, has a little under two. His resale value will only fall from here, which is why January could prove decisive.

First, though, he needs to get back on the pitch. McTominay was cleared this week after his heart procedure, and Massimiliano Allegri hopes to have him available for Saturday’s visit of Frosinone.