Arsenal are reportedly alongside Tottenham in registering an interest in the transfer of Napoli forward Dries Mertens.
The Belgium international has been a world class performer in Serie A down the years, having scored 116 goals in 295 games in all competitions for Napoli.
However, Mertens is now coming towards the end of his contract with Napoli and could be available on a free transfer next summer.
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This seemingly has top clubs on alert, with a report from Il Mattino, as translated by the Metro, stating Arsenal and Tottenham are among those to have registered an interest in the 32-year-old.
Despite perhaps edging towards the end of his career, Mertens still looks a tempting option on a free transfer, with the report also mentioning big names such as Juventus and AC Milan as being interested in snapping him up.
Mertens would be a big loss for Napoli with his quality up front and fine scoring record, and it’s not yet clear if they could persuade him to sign a contract extension.
“I still don’t know what my future will be,” he is quoted by the Metro as saying last month.
“My objective right now is to have a very good season with Napoli. Then we’ll see how things go.
“There’s still some time left until the end of the season. Here at Napoli, I still have seven months left on my contract. I don’t know where I’ll be playing next season.
“At the end of this year, I’ll assess whether to renew my contract or not, but it’s still too early. I’m not in a position to rule anything out.”
Mertens could be a useful signing for Arsenal after their struggles this season, with the north Londoners not always enjoying the large amount of cash in the transfer market as some of their rivals.
Signing a proven talent like this on a free could therefore be smart business, but it’s questionable if he’d move to either Arsenal or Spurs if they’re not in the Champions League next year.