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Maurizio Sarri ‘fears’ Man Utd target will leave Napoli at the end of the season

Maurizio Sarri ‘fears’ Man Utd target will leave Napoli at the end of the season

Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri fears that Dries Mertens will be leaving the club at the end of the season, according to today’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Tutto Napoli). The Italian tactician had to deal with the departure of Gonzalo Higuain last summer and the departure of the Argentinian did not have a big impact on Napoli’s figures in terms of goals.

Arkadiusz Milik brilliantly replaced the current Juventus star in the first part of the season but in October he picked up a severe knee injury which had kept him out of action for almost four months. The injury of the Poland International forced Sarri to play Dries Mertens as false nine and the Belgian has not been struggling to come to terms with his new position having netted 24 goals in 35 appearances so far this season.

The former PSV star has put new contract talks on hold. He has demanded his club a new € 3-million-a-year deal until 2021 but the club is only open to offer € 2.5 million with a release clause included in the player’s new deal.

​According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri has recently had a meeting with the club’s president De Laurentiis telling him that he fears Mertens will be leaving in the summer.

​Representatives of Manchester United are reported to have met Mertens in a hotel in Naples city centre last week.