This morning, Belgian outlet, Voetbal Flitsen (via HITC) have linked Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Leeds with a move for Napoli forward, Dries Mertens.
Belgian international, Mertens is coming to the end of his 9 year spell at Italian side, Napoli where he leads their all-time scoring charts with 148 goals in 397 appearances. With the forward opting to leave at the end of his contract, several Premier League clubs have been put on alert.
Despite being 35 years old, Mertens still has the legs to put in another couple of good seasons, and given his versatility, would be seen as a good signing for any of the interested clubs. The diminutive striker stands at just 5″5′ but uses his low centre of gravity to his advantage, and as such has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi. He can play anywhere across the forward line which opens up a wealth of options.
Out of the three Premier League clubs mentioned, Newcastle would be the most likely destination for Mertens given their financial clout. Leeds would likely have to step outside of their wage structure to bring him in and Palace, with all due respect, can’t match the ambition show by Newcastle’s new owners.
However, as mentioned, he is 35 and that might put Newcastle off a move especially given their focus on bringing in younger players and progressing them. That being said, having Mertens as an impact sub would be a good shout, if he was willing to be used sparingly, but with his versatility he could come on to replace anyone in front of the midfield and add an extra dimension up top and turn a game on its head.