Report: Mertens rejects Juventus out of Napoli loyalty

Dries Mertens has rejected a move to Juventus as he does not want to become a Napoli traitor, according to reports in Italy.

The Belgium forward is a free agent after leaving Napoli at the end of last season and is in search of a new club.

Recent reports suggested Juve had turned their attentions to Mertens as they continue their pursuit of another forward due to their frustrations in attempting to agree a deal with Atlético Madrid for Álvaro Morata.

But La Gazzetta dello Sport report Mertens has turned down an offer of €5 million from the Bianconeri due to his loyalty to Napoli.

Mertens is the Partenopei’s all-time leading goal scorer with 148 in total since joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2013.

The 35-year-old is embedded in Neapolitan culture and has been nickname “Ciro” – a common name in Naples – a symbol the city have adopted him as their own.