Napoli, Meret from the scudetto. In the crosshairs the renewal and new records

Naples, 7 May 2025 - Officially, the expiry of his contract has been referring to the same date for some time now, which in turn is getting closer and closer to the point where we can easily start an easy countdown: Alex Meret, to date, the 30 June 2025 would close his long and fruitful adventure at Napoli, but obviously things seem destined to go differently: especially, needless to say, if the Friulian were to put his signature on another championship after the one he has already won as a protagonist in the 2022-2023 season.  

Meret's season and numbers

  At the moment, regardless of superstition and arithmetic, the wind is blowing ever stronger towards this goal for the Azzurri, who are obviously called upon not to fail. 3 commitments still on the calendar: it will start on Sunday evening from Genoa which, at least according to their coach Patrick Vieira, will not show up at Fuorigrotta just to go on a trip. Then it will be time for the away game, the last one of the season, to Tardini di Parma, before closing at Maradona against Cagliari a championship that by that day could have already issued its sentences. It depends, in fact, only on the Napoli, who has been in complete control of his own destiny for a few days now after the long chase he made earlier to stay in the wake ofInter during their most complicated period and then to first achieve the catch-up and, finally, the much-desired overtaking that today would also chase away the spectre of the play-off. In all these seasonal steps there has always been the hand of Meret. Or rather, almost always because, even this year the accident tax has not spared the Friulian, replaced however well before by Elia caprile, later flown to the Cagliari, and then from Simone scuffet, who in January had instead done the opposite route. In short, well, very good the replacements, but the goalposts of the Maradona belong firmly to Meret, which between ordinary administration, real miracles and leadership of the entire department that has become increasingly evident over the years, has now won over everyone: even Antonio Conte, one who upon his arrival in the summer at Fuorigrotta, in the context of what was supposed to be (and in fact was) a real revolution, had called into question practically every piece of the team. Even Meret, who then, as per his style, with the lights off, once again took the Napoli (and this time with the addition of Tale). On the other hand, when you have the best defense of the tournament, with just 25 goals conceded, there can be no lack of merit for the goalkeeper, often in these cases the real swing vote. Between plastic flights, great reactivity from zero meters, high attention on long shots and constant safety in the exits, the point of excellence of Meret penalties are confirmed: in total, the penalty kicks neutralized in his career are well 11, Of which 9 in Serie A (curiously all against left-handed players) and the second in the season. The class of '97 has never surpassed this record in a single year, and the last 3 races of the championship could also serve to improve their numbers in this sense but it is likely that the Azzurri fans, despite having a lot of faith in their number 1, will prefer to spend the 270 ' tournament finals with much more calm and less anxiety. Two ingredients that, curiously, are never missing when, speaking of Meret, from the field we move to the desk.

Meret's new contract: numbers and issues

  The renewal of the contract of a goalkeeper who, obviously, would be tempting for a free for many teams has been at the top of the priorities for some time now: including the direct rivals of Napoli in the rankings, like theInter , Roma. The preference of all parties involved would be to possibly find a solution for a lasting agreement, perhaps almost with the flavour of the end of career, thus leaving in the past those bridge renewals that in fact have only moved the issue further away. As for the length of the next contract, in theory, there would not be many problems, with the idea of ​​tying ourselves up until 30 June 2027, with the option for a further season. The economic issue is slightly different and more uphill, and not with regard to the fixed part of the new salary, which should rise from 2 million net of today at 3 million net. There are some more or less worrying issues regarding the bonuses, but nothing that seems to be able to definitively undermine the issue today. However, everything will be postponed until the end of the season, the one that Napoli, speaking specifically of goalkeepers, will close at Maradona challenging who like Caprile he had started his season on the other side of the fence. The primary collective objective will obviously be the defense of the first place in the standings which would mean a fourth championship, the second of the era Aurelio De Laurentiis. But the same Meret, on a personal level, he still has a lot at stake and not only for that renewal hoped for by everyone and still to be formalized. To date the clean sheets in the championship of the Friulian are well 15, a figure equalled only by the Roman player Mile svilar. Double-lock the door on at least one more occasion against Genoa, Parma e Cagliari it would mean for Meret equal himself, when in the 2022-2023 season, which coincidentally also ended with the tricolour, the matches without conceding any goals were 16: doing it for more than one match from now until the end of the championship, obviously, would allow the class of '97 to set a new personal best, which in turn could be good for even more retouching the figures of the probable new agreement. Talking about formalities or little more is perhaps reductive, but the path taken seems to be the right one: the story between the Napoli e Meret has all the papers in order to continue further. Actually no: all that is missing is the signed contract paper. To date little more than a detail to close the matter without problems or even bloodshed.

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