Mertens still waiting for Napoli but the clock is ticking

Dries Mertens is reportedly still waiting for Napoli to offer him a new contract but time is starting to run out.

The 35-year-old Belgian forward’s current contract expires with the Partenopei next week, meaning he’s less than seven days away from leaving Napoli after nine years. Mertens became the club’s all-time top scorer in the 2019-20 season, when he netted his 122nd goal for the Campania side.

As reported by Sportmediaset, Mertens wants to stay with Napoli and move ahead with his beloved club, but so far no new contract has arrived or even really been discussed. The Belgian forward is anxious and he’s aware that only a week sits between now and being a free agent.

President Aurelio De Laurentiis has made it clear that he wants to cut the wage bill and this desire could see Mertens leave on a free and Kalidou Koulibaly sold.

Lazio and Royal Antwerp are both linked with a move for the 35-year-old and it’s likely that he’d pursue these ideas should Napoli fail to tie him down to a new deal in the coming days.