Liverpool’s target, Lorenzo Insigne has signed a deal worth £17 million with Italian side Napoli, which will tie him to the club until 2022, according to reports from Il Mattino report. The deal is set to enrich the Italian by £3.4 million every year. The deal also makes him one of the highest earning members at the club. The Merseysiders can match the wage demands quite comfortably, but the new contract will have a significant impact on the transfer value of the Italy international.

Liverpool have struggled for consistency this season, with frequent injuries to key players hampering their progress. After a bright start to the season, where they looked like they will fight for the title, the Reds are now fighting for a Champions League spot. Sadio Mane on the right wing has been Liverpool’s standout performer this season, and whenever he is on the team sheet, Liverpool have put in much better performances. What Klopp is looking for is another winger to strengthen the attack on the wings, so that the fodder for his strikers is good enough to kill off small teams, something Liverpool have found hard to do this season.

The Kop Times Verdict

The other key factor is Insigne’s return, is in terms of goals and assists. He is not spoken about as much as his fellow wingers, like Hazard, Sanchez or Neymar. But his returns are as good as any of them. The Italy international, with 14 caps to his name, has been on fire for Napoli this season, firing in 16 goals and providing 10 assists in his 43 appearances for Napoli in both league and cup. What is astonishing is that he has done all this playing from the wing. Liverpool’s goals are predominantly scored by Mane, Firmino and Coutinho, with Lallana playing the support act. Adding Insigne would be a major boost in terms of quality and output.

However, the new contract endangers this possibility and might force Liverpool to look elsewhere for reinforcements.

The Italian gathered the attention of a number of sides including Arsenal and Roma. But as things stand, he will stay at Napoli for the foreseeable future unless Liverpool and Klopp decide to burn a hole in their pocket to land the seemingly unstoppable Insigne.