Cameroon‘s André-Frank Zambo Anguissa headed Napoli into the lead against Lecce — and ultimately to top spot in Serie A — last week, but swirling uncertainty about his long-term future at the club appears no closer to being resolved.
Zambo Anguissa, now 29, is eyeing his third Italian title with the Partenopei, having been part of the sides that returned to the pinnacle of Serie A in 2023 and 2025.
With Nigeria‘s Victor Osimhen, now at Galatasaray, leading the line, Napoli scored 77 goals during their 22-23 title-winning campaign, averaging over two goals per game across the season.
Typically lauded for his defensive qualities, Zambo Anguissa has increasingly blossomed into an offensive threat for Napoli, even as the Campania heavyweights’ goal threat has overall diminished since their Scudetto-winning campaign.
They dipped to below 60 league goals each year across the last two seasons, with Osimhen — during an injury-struck campaign — registering 15 in 2023-24 (down from 26), before departing altogether in 2024.
Without him, Napoli have sought goals from elsewhere, with now-injured Romelu Lukaku – with only 14 goals – their top scorer as the Italian crown was reclaimed again last term.
This season, 10 games into the campaign, it’s Zambo Anguissa who leads the club’s scoring charts, with the midfielder tied on four goals with former Manchester City striker Kevin De Bruyne.
He added his fourth to open the scoring against Lecce last week, heading home David Neres‘ freekick in the 69th minute to give Antonio Conte’s side the lead, 10 minutes after the hosts had themselves missed a penalty.
It’s perhaps an indication of what the Partenopei supporters should expect from their club over the coming months, particularly with chief creator De Bruyne now sidelined for an extended period — alongside Lukaku — after suffering a serious thigh problem.
The Belgian great created on average 1.9 goalscoring chance per game across his eight Serie A outings before injury struck — only 10 players have averaged more so far this season — and without him, a Napoli attack that has scored eight fewer than second-placed Internazionale may have even more difficulty finding that spark.
They’ll surely become even more reliant on Zambo Anguissa, whose four goals in 10 has put him comfortably on course to surpass the best scoring season of his career to date: six in Serie A last term.
Indeed, while there are no doubts about the former Olympique de Marseille man’s importance to this side, he’s increasingly becoming a player to force home the issue for Napoli in the final third, when his long-term employers need him most.
There had been glimpses of his increasingly attuned eye for goal during his early years at Napoli, with his goal against Liverpool in the Champions League and a double against Torino in their title-winning season endearing him to the Ciucciarelli fanbase.
As well as the Lecce winner, it was the Cameroonian who equalised in the home victory over Patrick Vieira’s Genoa in early October — ultimately setting Conte’s side on their way to all three points — while his second-half strike against title rivals Inter, three days before the Lecce game, killed off the visitors’ hopes of a comeback and guaranteed a massive win.
Despite being top of the table, things aren’t truly flowing for Conte’s side so far this season, with Napoli functional rather than fluid. Based on their goalscoring so far, they’re on course to register 60 goals this campaign, although without De Bruyne, that number could conceivably drop.
With Lukaku expected to still be absent until late December, expect Zambo Anguissa to be increasingly influential as Napoli look to maintain their grip on top spot in the division.
There’s clearly been a shift in his game under Conte; for example, the midfielder is currently averaging 1.9 attempts on goal per match, more than in any other campaign in his career, and a 35-percent increase on his previous high.
The Central African’s fine recent form should focus Napoli’s attention on extending the midfielder’s current deal, with Zambo Anguissa’s existing contract set to end in June 2027.
It appears as though the club’s Director of Football, Giovanni Manna, is aware of the player’s influence on this Napoli side, but appears relaxed with the club’s approach to a renewal.
“Anguissa is playing great football, he is a real leader for us, both on and off the field,” Manna told DAZN. “We have a unilateral option to extend, but there is no rush, we are focusing on the games right now.”
Napoli may not be wise to be so casual with tying up the player’s future, with reports in the UK media earlier this year suggesting that Chelsea may be considering a move for the Yaounde-born midfield general.
Latterly, the Italian media have also reported interest from Turkey, with Galatasaray and Fenerbahce both named as potential suitors for the ex-Olympique de Marseille dynamo, and Saudi Arabia.
A return to West London would be compelling, with the six footer having some unfinished business in the Premier League after struggling to truly leave his mark at Fulham despite arriving at the club in August 2018 as their record signing.
He’ll also be acutely aware that he’s on the cusp of legend status at Napoli, although some supporters may argue he’s there already.
Only a handful of players currently on course for a third Serie A title were present back in 2022 when the Partenopei embarked on the campaign that would culminate with a second-ever Scudetto and an end to their long wait for the trophy.
The AFCON Conundrum
Despite this, there’s potentially friction on the horizon between player and club, with the prospect of a mid-season Africa Cup of Nations looming for Zambo Anguissa and Cameroon across December and January.
Corriere dello Sport appear to have mooted the option of the midfielder’s presence at the Nations Cup, with Napoli understood to be keen on retaining the player’s services during the mid-season tournament.
The paper ominously declares that his participation in Morocco is “not guaranteed” although the basis for their claim is not immediately clear.
It’s a subject that the midfielder has already discussed in the past, telling ESPN exclusively during the 2022 tournament in his homeland that clubs had to be understanding of the players’ loyalties to their national team.
“It’s always delicate for a player to leave his team, but the club have to understand that the Africa Cup of Nations is an important thing when you’re an African player, and they have to respect that as well,” he began.
“In my situation, the club didn’t have a problem, even though they know that I’m an important component in the team.
“[Napoli] are thinking more about what the AFCON means for me, so today I know that everyone at my club are there and supporting me,” he said. “At the same time, I’m still supporting them even though I’m over here.”
It remains to be seen whether, three and a half years hence, Napoli are still as understanding as Zambo Anguissa claimed they were at the 2022 Nations Cup, certainly the four-time Italian champions have never previously been as dependent on their midfield talisman as they are right now, as they look to retain the Serie A title for the first time in their history.