Napoli, De Laurentiis-Mertens meeting: contract extension close

Napoli and Dries Mertens are calmly proceeding with talks around a contract extension for the Belgian. Mertens, who has strong ties to the city and fans, and who remains one goal behind Hamsik for the club's all-time scoring record, met with president De Laurentiis face-to-face to try to reach an agreement. The news was reported by Meridiano News and is awaiting confirmation. Napoli is pushing for Mertens to extend his deal, but there is uncertainty whether he would rather wait to entertain other offers. The meeting beetween player and owner also may go to smooth over the earlier fines that angered the players, including Mertens. It was a positive meeting with the feeling that a contract renewal can be made. The two parties are defining an extension for another two years, until 2022, and with a signing bonus.