Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis urged Dries Mertens to renew his contract and “hopefully his wife can be convinced that this is a beautiful city.”
The striker is content at the Stadio San Paolo, where he is having the most prolific campaign of his career with 27 goals and 12 assists in 40 competitive games.
Turning 30 next month, his contract is due to expire in June 2018 and Manchester United are the favourites if he decides to leave.
Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis urged Dries Mertens to renew his contract and “hopefully his wife can be convinced that this is a beautiful city.”
The striker is content at the Stadio San Paolo, where he is having the most prolific campaign of his career with 27 goals and 12 assists in 40 competitive games.
Turning 30 next month, his contract is due to expire in June 2018 and Manchester United are the favourites if he decides to leave.
“I hope that he will sign a renewal, but above all I hope he does it for his own good,” De Laurentiis told Mediaset Premium after today’s Press conference to announce a Lorenzo Insigne extension to 2022.
“I hope Mertens doesn’t go overboard and that his wife can be convinced that Naples is a beautiful city where you can live very happily.
“We have been in constant contact with his lawyers and discussing the matter for 10 days. I hope that as soon as possible the sun can emerge, because Naples cannot stay without sun.
“It would be better if this sun were called Mertens, a fairly unique player in the way he interprets roles, but above all a good lad. I am pleased to have him here in our squad.”
During the Press conference this morning, De Laurentiis took on a more adversarial tone with Mertens and wife Kat, who it’s widely reported does not want to remain in Naples.
“You have to love the city of Naples, or you can leave. Naples is not like living in Turin or Manchester,” said De Laurentiis with clear reference to Gonzalo Higuain’s move to Juventus and the Manchester United interest in Mertens.
“The history of the city continues to develop, year after year, century after century, with millions of stories that can wrap you up in them if you let it happen.
“To people who say: ‘Oh I could never live in Naples’ – then go. Who wants you here? Who asked you?
“Mertens has a family situation that you all know, he has not clarified 100 per cent, and we are waiting to see what happens. Funnily enough, the calls he’s getting are due to all the goals he scored thanks to Maurizio Sarri. With a different Coach or teammates, he probably wouldn’t score so many.
“I don’t want anyone to leave and so will try to keep hold of them, but if they want to leave or some crazy person comes along offering to pay the release clause, then we’ll get over it, just as we did in the past.”