Napoli star forward Dries Mertens has emerged as an option for the two North London giants Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in this upcoming summer transfer window. Napoli bought Mertens from the Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven for €9.5 million in July 2013. Currently, Mertens has a contract with Napoli until June 2022.
The Belgian forward made 30 appearances in all competitions this season, contributing nine goals and eight assists in the process. He scored eight times and registered seven assists in 21 Serie A appearances this term.
The 33-year-old Belgian forward signed a new contract with Napoli last June. However, according to reports, the Serie A outfit are keen to move Mertens off their wage bill this summer and the North London rivals are interested.
Mertens to leave Napoli and go to Premier League?
The forward has managed 134 goals and 86 assists in 352 outings for Napoli since joining the club from PSV. He is currently the all-time leading goalscorer for Gli Azzurri, beating the second-placed Marek Hamsik, who has 121 goals in 520 games.
Arsenal are struggling with their number nine spot as their club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is having an awful season at Emirates Stadium. The other option for that spot Alexandre Lacazette hasn’t been that prolific. So, Mertens has appeared as an option to solve the striker problem for the Gunners.
However, the situation at Tottenham is different. Their star forward Harry Kane doesn’t want to stay at Spur because he wants to win silverware and play in the UEFA Champions League regularly. So, Mertens can come in and fill the void if Kane decides to leave in the summer.
Mertens hasn’t produced his best performances for Gennaro Gattuso’s in the last few seasons. As he picked up few injuries and struggled to stay fit for a long time. So, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Napoli legend next season.
Also, follow our Twitter page for the latest updates on Premier League and Indian football.
