TIRANA, April 2 – Albania’s Napoli fullback Elseid Hysaj is reportedly holding fresh talks with Italian Serie A side Napoli who seem willing to extend his contract and increase his release clause as the 24-year-old Albania international has become the target of top English Premier League clubs.
Italian media say Napoli are mulling offering the Albanian fullback, regarded as one of the world’s best defenders, a two-year contract extension until 2023 and raise his release clause from a current €50 million to €80 million amid reports that Manchester United and Arsenal are willing to pay for his transfer.
Hysaj has been playing Napoli since 2015 when he moved from Empoli for a mere €5 million fee, turning into a regular starter and helping Napoli rival for a long-awaited Serie A title.
With seven games remaining, Napoli rank second in the Serie A for this season, trailing leaders Juventus by only four points and with a comfortable 16-point lead over third and fourth-placed Lazio and Roma.
Albania’s most sought-after player has been capped 37 times for the national side since his 2013 debut with a key contribution to Albania’s first-ever appearance in a major international tournament such as the Euro 2016.
He recently made it to the top 500 players on the UK’s World Soccer” magazine, joining former Albania internationals Lorik Cana and Shkelzen Gashi as well as current Basel midfielder Taulant Xhaka whose Arsenal playmaker brother plays for Switzerland. In the opening group stage match at the Euro 2016 in France, the Xhakas they became the first two brothers to face each other for different national sides in a European competition.
“Elseid Hysaj is an attacking right-back who helped Albania qualify for Euro 2016 and is now an important figure in Napoli’s Serie A,” says the Magazine in its April issue.
Hysaj grew up as a player in Italy where he moved when he was 14.
Several other Albania internationals play in Italy’s Serie A including Lazio and Atalanta goalkeepers Thomas Strakosha and Etrit Berisha.
