Chelsea supporters will be delighted to wake up to the news that the Blues are now in pole position to sign one of their summer targets for one simple reason.
Dries Mertens is out of contract with Napoli at the end of the 2019/20 season, whenever Serie A decides that to be.
The Daily Mail note that Frank Lampard wanted the 32-year-old Belgian, who turns 33 next week, back in January, but was unable to secure the experienced striker. Having retained an interest in the player, however, it seems that Lampard’s persistence is about to pay off.
That’s because the player prefers a move to London according to the Daily Mail.
Mertens is a striker that can play in a multitude of attacking roles, and to that end, his experience will be invaluable to Lampard’s young side. He continues to score goals too, with the Daily Mail noting that he’s now level with Marek Hamsik as Napoli’s all-time leading scorer.
If Chelsea are able to secure him on a free, even for a season, it’s surely a move that will pay dividends.