According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dries Mertens is increasingly likely to leave Napoli at the end of the month as the striker and the club have not reached an agreement over a contract extension.
Mertens’ contract runs out on June 30 and president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed in April that the 35-year-old could have signed a contract extension with the Azzurri.
However, according to Gazzetta, sources close to the club are now claiming that Mertens wants a new €4m-a-year contract (he currently gets €5m per season), while, according to the striker’s entourage, Mertens wants to spread his current salary onto a two-year deal.
Napoli have an option to extend Mertens’ contract by one more season, keeping his actual salary, but the Partenopei are not going to activate it.
Mertens has already received an offer from Lazio, but his priority is to remain in Naples, so talks with his former boss Maurizio Sarri have been put on hold. The Belgium international is the best scorer in Napoli’s history, with 148 goals in 397 appearances.
Mertens-Napoli, il grande gelo. Rinnovo sempre più lontano https://t.co/Pe1vFBEeds
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) June 6, 2022
At 35 years old it has no sense to pay 5m or even 4m to Mertens, specially since recently he has a love to be injured and enjoying the sidelines. If you look at Giroud who has a way bigger CV compared to Mertens, he takes 3.5m home per season. At most Mertens should be paid 3m a season and thanks Napoli
He wants £4m spread out over 2 years. I would give it to him. He’s worth it even at his age.
@DARIO Agree. It’s the least ADL should do.
@DARIO
Agree. It’s the least ADL should do.
If I were in ADL’s shoes, I’d do as Mertens asks. Sure, he’s lost a step, but he’s still frequently in the right place at the right time, and never makes stupid mistakes. Also, along with Koulibaly, he’s a leader in the locker room. And last, he has, and generates, tremendous goodwill with the fans!
If a team is about nothing but money, it might as well be Juventus.