Dries Mertens has extended his stay with Napoli till 2020. The Belgian forward has been instrumental for the Italian side as he has struck 33 goals this season. Napoli are currently in the third position in the Serie A and could finish the season in the second position if AS Roma fail to hold their places in the last match of the season.
The Belgian attacker was linked with Manchester United earlier as the Red Devils were very keen to rope him in. But recent movements hint that it will be very tough from this point to entice the player who pledged his future with his current club.
Chelsea was also considering their options for the versatile Belgian as Diego Costa’s future is uncertain and he might leave soon. The Blues will feel the need of a prolific goal scorer who will be able to repeat his feat and Mertens fits the bill perfectly. The Belgian has been shifted up front after the injury to Milik and the results have been very encouraging. The 30-year-old has netted 27 goals in the Serie-A itself so far and can better his goal tally when Napoli entertain Sampdoria in the last match.
Mertens’ excellence as an all round attacker has made him a hot property in the transfer market. Including this season, he has impressed in a number of places as he can ably be deployed on either wing. He is also superior when it comes to playing the role of a false nine as his sudden bursts of pace and delayed movements can catch defenders unmarked. He is also a good finisher of the ball and his pace in the attacking third is one of his potential qualities.
It has been reported that the player does have a release clause in his contract but there is a little bit of twist in the tale in this. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed that the player’s release clause can only be triggered by a Chinese club. He is aware of Mertens’ demand and has intentionally put a clause in his contract.
However, according to reports, Chelsea and Manchester United will still try to take the player to their respective clubs. For Mourinho, the idea of him linking with Rashford, Mkhitaryan and Martial seems very lucrative and he may yet persuade him to shift clubs. But the player is pretty much settled in Naples and with Napoli on the verge of making it into the Champions League a deal is looking very tough.
