Chelsea reportedly face a real transfer scrap in their bid to land the signature of Napoli forward Dries Mertens this summer as competition is building.
The 33-year-old has enjoyed a stellar spell with the Partenopei, scoring 121 goals and providing 73 assists in 311 games for the club as he currently stands as their joint all-time top goalscorer.
SEE MORE: Chelsea want €40m+ to green light key figure’s exit, emerges as primary target for Euro giants
That followed a prolific spell at PSV Eindhoven where he bagged 45 goals in just 88 games, and so the Belgian international has certainly shown he knows his way to goal and has continued to deliver this season to show he has plenty left in the tank.
However, doubts have emerged over his future at Napoli as his current contract is set to expire this summer, and as time runs down, there is no suggestion that a renewal is imminent.
As noted by the Express, Chelsea have been heavily linked with a swoop ahead of next season, with that particular report painting a positive picture of their chances of landing the Belgian ace.
However, Calciomercato report, via ANSA, that it may not be so straight-forward as far as the Blues are concerned, as Paris Saint-Germain are said to have also now expressed an interest in Mertens and in doing so have joined Inter, Roma and AC Milan as a possible destination for him this summer.
With that in mind, it remains to be seen if Chelsea are one of the frontrunners to convince Mertens to take on a new challenge next season, but with that quartet of European giants as competition, it could become increasingly difficult for them.
Olivier Giroud, Pedro and Willian will all see their current deals expire this summer too, and although Chelsea have already confirmed a switch for Hakim Ziyech from Ajax this summer, Mertens could be a key addition to help fill those voids and replace that experience in what is a young squad.
That in turn makes him a sensible target for Lampard, but time will tell if he gets his man.