Wednesday, 19th June, 2013
Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a serious blow in the race for PSV Eindhoven winger Dries Mertens as the player is certain to join Napoli next week, according to his father.
Mertens was much in demand this summer after a productive season with PSV that saw 16 goals and 17 assists in the league, while he has also impressed in the World Cup qualifiers for Belgium.
Speculation had been rife over whether Mertens would choose Italy or England, but it appears the player has communicated with his father regarding his final decision.
Herman Mertens was quoted by Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad as saying: "Dries sent me a text message. Indeed, he expects that he will be going to Naples next week.
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"Nothing seems to stand in the way of the transfer. Dries really wants this for himself.
"His girlfriend had said that they preferred to go to London but if a club such as Napoli comes calling, you should not question it. It is a unique chance to play Champions League football."
Reports have suggested that a deal has already been struck, with a fee that could reach €10m, and confirmation of the signing is expected to be given next week.
Mertens joined PSV in 2011 under former Vitesse boss Fred Rutten, and has since notched 88 appearances for the Eredivisie runners-up, scoring 45 goals in the process.
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