It appears the idea that Dries Mertens could end up at Manchester United next season is picking up some pace in Italy, with Il Mattino now reporting an interest from José Mourinho in the Belgian forward.
On Thursday, Gazzetta dello Sport claimed both Manchester clubs were after the Napoli goalscorer, and with a contract running out in June 2018, this summer would be the best chance to acquire his services for a relatively decent fee.
Il Mattino report Napoli are prepared to offer him €2.5m/year, which converts to around £42k/week, yet the player is asking for more, and Manchester United are prepare to offer him just that.
The Naples based newspaper claim the Red Devils would be willing to hand him a deal with a wage surpassing €4m/year (£66k/week, likely after tax), which is expected to meet his demands.
As we explained in our previous article, rejecting Napoli’s offer for the time being might be the best option if Mertens wants to further his career: “Considering he turns 30 in just a few months, expecting clubs, even those as rich as Manchester United or Manchester City, to spend €50m on him might be a bit of a push when he only has one great goalscoring season under his belt
“That both Manchester clubs are interested isn’t exactly a surprise, considering Mertens would fit in either side, but we cannot see either spending such a sum on him this summer.”
Expect more on this in the coming weeks, it seems.
