Insigne extends Napoli contract

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed that Lorenzo Insigne has signed a one-year extension to his contract.

Insigne featured in all but one of Napoli’s Serie A games last season, only missing the final fixture of the campaign against Roma through suspension.

Rafael Benitez has already confirmed he sees the diminutive attacker as a key part of his plans after replacing Walter Mazzarri as Napoli boss in the close-season.

However, he had to settle for a place on the substitutes bench as Napoli began their league campaign with a 3-0 win against Bologna at the weekend.

Having been a transfer target for Premier League side Sunderland earlier in the close-season, Insigne has ended all speculation by signing a new deal with the club that will run until 2018.

“I met Insigne and we signed a new five-year contract,” De Laurentiis announced on Twitter.

“I wish ‘Lorenzinho’ to have a great career with Napoli.”

The 22-year-old starred for Italy in the UEFA Under-21 European Championships, where they reached the final, only to lose to Spain.

Insigne created two goals in four games and also netted a stunning free-kick against England in the group stage.