Dries Mertens has had an eventful week. The Red Devil scored the opening goal against Empoli last Sunday, but his team SSC Napoli lost and so he and his teammates were sent to ‘penalty camp’. In the meantime, however, a breakthrough is said to be imminent about his future.
After the defeat to Empoli, the title seems to be flying for Napoli and so the club decided to intervene drastically. Although the plans for the penal camp eventually had to be adjusted. Because the hotel at the training center was fully booked, the players can stay at home for the time being. But they have to stay at the club from breakfast until after dinner. In this way, good training can be continued and there is sufficient time to discuss the deeper-lying problems.
On Tuesday, chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis would also have been present in the training center and he followed the practice sessions closely. According to Gianluca Di Marzio he also had an extensive conversation with Mertens. The president would like to discuss with one of the experienced forces in the selection what the atmosphere is like in the dressing room and where, according to the player group, the problem lies. In addition, the future of Mertens was also discussed in more detail during the maintenance.
HEAVY SALARY SACRIFICE
Because of his expiring contract, Mertens seemed to be on his way to the exit. SS Lazio, among others, was ready to welcome him with open arms. But a departure from Naples now seems to be out of the question. According to Corriere dello Sport After all, Mertens and De Laurentiis are approaching an agreement to extend. He could still sign, but on greatly reduced conditions. For example, the attacker would have to settle for a salary of around 1.2 million euros per year. That’s about a third of what he earns now. That amount could increase considerably due to all kinds of bonuses. The Italian medium expects white smoke soon.
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