There was a brief moment in January when it seemed like Chelsea were going to buy Dries Mertens from Napoli.
The Stamford Bridge side were heavily linked with the 32-year-old, and there was a strong belief that if Olivier Giroud was let go, then the Belgium international would come in to replace him.
However, the Frenchman stayed, and while Chelsea ‘were ready to invest €10m’ in Mertens, the deal never took place.
That’s what Corriere del Mezzogiorno remind their readers on Thursday, looking at the situation surrounding the diminutive forward.
According to them, Napoli’s plans on the transfer market will change depending on whether or not Mertens signs a new deal, and with clubs like Inter and Monaco waiting to see what happens, it could go down to the wire.
However, Corriere del Mezzogiorno also do point out that Chelsea remain the most ‘fascinating temptation’ for the player, as the deal that could have cost €10m in January can now be done for free, especially as it seems Giroud is also likely to run down his contract.
It could all work out, just six months later than originally desired.
