Chelsea dealt Dries Mertens transfer blow as striker decides future

Chelsea dealt Dries Mertens transfer blow, as the Belgian decided to sign a new contract with Napoli. According to Sky Italia, the 33-year-old has agreed to extend his contract with the club until 2022. The Blues had been long-term admirers of the striker, who has been on Napoli's books since 2013, signing from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven. But after failing to pull off a deal for Mertens right at the end of the January window, Chelsea continued to keep a close eye on the striker. However, Frank Lampard's hopes of signing Mertens have been dashed, with the Belgium international. Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso was persistent in his efforts to persuade Mertens to sign a new deal. Before the suspension of the Serie A campaign back in March, the striker had scored six goals in 21 league appearances this season. Since joining the Italian outfit back in 2013, he has made 311 appearances for the club, scoring 121 times and registering 73 assists. Source: Football.london Join us on Telegram!