Things have fallen quiet in Naples regarding Dries Mertens as his contract negotiations with Napoli have hit a brick wall.
The 35-year-old Belgian forward officially left the Partenopei earlier this month after his contract expired, making him a free agent. He’s reportedly not keen to leave Italy and has turned down all proposals for the time being as he tries to see if a stay with his beloved Napoli is possible.
As reported by Corriere dello Sport, Mertens and Aurelio De Laurentiis’ contract negotiations have hit a stalemate regarding the wages – the Belgian forward has been offered a one-year deal worth €2.5m, but he’s looking for wages worth €2.9m instead.
Neither party seems willing to budge at the moment and it’s seeming more and more likely that Mertens will leave Napoli for good this summer. A number of clubs are reportedly interested in making a move for the 35-year-old, including Lazio, Royal Antwerp and Olympique Marseille.