Chelsea have set themselves up in a ‘privileged position’ to secure the signing of Dries Mertens from Napoli this summer.
The 33-year-old striker is out of contract in the summer and, despite having looked close to signing a new deal at one point, now looks likely to leave.
Several clubs would all be interested in his signature should he decide to move elsewhere but, according to Corriere dello Sport, it is Chelsea who are at the front of the queue.
The newspaper explains that Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis believed he had convinced Mertens into signing a new deal when the pair met to discuss him staying at the club.
A ‘serene’ meeting between the pair led to an agreement on a new, two-year deal worth €4.5m year, including bonuses for goals and team success and a €2.5m signing bonus.
However, nothing was signed. The ‘silence’ since makes him believe that ‘other voices’ have ‘sneaked in’ to convince Mertens to move away; namely Chelsea.
It’s explained that it’s easy to imagine Mertens moving to Stamford Bridge as they’ll need a forward this summer with Olivier Giroud departing.
They were keen in January when it looked like the Frenchman would be joining Inter Milan, and, although that never happened, the Belgian remains a ‘strong temptation’.
They’ve reportedly given him a ‘lateral tickle’, in other words, made it clear they can be an option for him, playing up that he can play in a ‘prestigious tournament’ like the Premier League and for a team that ‘remains ambitious’.
They are not the only English side to make their move, Arsenal and Manchester United should provide a ‘pound-for-pound’ challenge for his signature, but at the moment Chelsea enjoy a ‘privileged position’ in his thinking.
