Gunners star may be tempted by Serie A move.
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Napoli winger Dries Mertens has tried to hijack Thomas Vermaelen’s move to Manchester United by urging the Arsenal skipper to join him at Napoli instead, the Daily Star reports.
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The 28-year-old had been set to leave the Emirates Stadium to join Louis Van Gaal’s revolution at Old Trafford this summer, after the new boss earmarked the defender as a player he wanted shoring up his back line next term.
Vermaelen had been thought to be keen on making the move to the Northwest, but his international teammate Dries Mertens seemingly has other ideas.
Mertens joined the Naples side from PSV Eindhoven 12 months ago and starred last season as Rafa Benitez’s side qualified for the Champions League and won the Italian Cup.
And now Mertens wants Vermaelen to join him in Southern Italy for the upcoming campaign.
“I spoke with Vermaelen and I explained to him that here is good and there is a big project,” he said. “Yet he replied that for now I am an Arsenal player.”
“I have already told Vermaelen to come to Napoli 10 times.
“The city is magnificent and even Benitez asked me to convince Vermaelen to come here.”
Vermaelen has already stated that he is not sure where he will be playing his football next season, though a move to Napoli would keep him playing regular Champions League football.
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