Napoli and Dries Mertens are in agreement on a contract extension worth €4m per year after taxes. For the Belgian, a two-year contract includes bonuses that could rise to €5m a year, and a €2.5m signing bonus. There is also an option for a third year that could tie Mertens to Napoli through the 2023 season. Both parties have already said yes to the deal, and are in the process of exchanging documents. Mertens has yet to sign the contract, but that could arrive in a matter of hours, as lawyers have completed drafting the papers and the sides have agreed to all the details.
Mertens had received attention from Inter and Chelsea, with the Premier League club showing the most interest in signing him. Coach Gennaro Gattuso played a critical role in allowing Mertens to stay at Napoli, pushing De Laurentiis to retain him after making it known he was crucial to his plans.
