Dries Mertens is leaving Napoli permanently. The 35-year-old attacker had at i Partenopei about an expiring contract. After months of negotiations, chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis confirmed that the club and Mertens have not agreed on a new contract.
“I feel the love for the club, but I also have to be an entrepreneur,” said De Laurentiis at Radio Kiss Kiss. “Everyone asks about Mertens, but it’s all about the money. I first offered him 1.8 million euros. Then 2 million. When I made that last proposal of 2.4 million euros, he again refused. Then I told Dries that I wish him the best. For him, for his wife, for his son Ciro.”
thanks @dries_mertens14 ?? pic.twitter.com/lpWpntpLJX
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) July 24, 2022
“On the one hand, I thanked him for everything he has given us. With all those extraordinary goals,” continued De Laurentiis. “But on the other hand, I need money to buy young players, whom Napoli can build on in the coming years.” For Mertens, there will therefore be a farewell at Napoli after nine years. He played a total of 397 games for Napoli. Mertens scored 148 goals in those matches. This makes him the player with the most goals ever for Napoli, followed by club legends such as Lorenzo Insigne and Marek Hamsik (both 121) and Diego Maradona (114).
With a compilation of his most beautiful goals, Napoli thanks Mertens for services rendered. In recent weeks, he has been linked to AS Roma, Royal Antwerp and Olympique Marseille. A domestic transfer to Roma no longer seems an option, as Paulo Dybala recently made the transfer-free move from Juventus to i Giallorossi made.