Chelsea to make 2nd bid for Mertens after his backtracks on Napoli deal

Chelsea 'could make a second bid' for Dries Mertens after it emerged the Belgian backtracked on signing a new contract with Napoli.

The Blues reportedly made an offer for the 32-year-old forward back in January but this was turned down.

Now they have been offered encouragement to try again with reports in Italy suggesting Mertens is now reluctant to commit his future to Napoli.

Gazzetta dello Sport say Mertens was about to put pen to paper on a new £6.3m-a-year deal until the coronavirus pandemic stopped things.

They report there is now uncertainty about whether Mertens, who has also been linked with Inter Milan, wants to stay at Stadio San Paolo.

His contract expires this summer and so Chelsea, or whoever, could sign him for nothing.

Mertens is aware he could get superior wages, plus a large signing-on fee, if he comes to England in what would likely be the final big move of his career.

He has spent seven seasons with Napoli since arriving in an £8million move from PSV Eindhoven in 2013, playing 309 matches for the club and scoring 121 times.

Chelsea have already secured the signing of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax for £38m as Frank Lampard boosts his squad for next season.