The top scorer in Napoli history leaves his club after nine years

Dries Mertens, who scored 148 goals, which puts him ahead of the legendary Diego Maradona and Marek Hamsik as the top scorer in Naples, is leaving the Partenopei.

Mertens joined Napoli at the age of 25 from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven for just under €9.5 million. Interestingly, according to Transfermarkt, the Belgian-born Lovan’s price tag at the time of the transfer was still €3.5 million higher than the amount Mertens transferred to Naples for.

“We thank him for everything he has done here, but if I evaluate it with a cool head, I couldn’t do otherwise,” De Laurentiis told Kiss Kiss radio.

“I feel love for the club, but I must never forget that football is also a business. Unfortunately, sometimes that means going against the wishes of the fans,” club president Aurelio De Laurentiis said of Mertens

the 169-centimetre tall forward is likely to move 200 kilometres north to Rome. There, he is expected to wear the local Lazio jersey and reunite with his former coach Maurizio Sarri or long-time teammate Elseid Hysaj.

The Belgian has played 397 games for the Azzuri. Last season, Mertens played 40 games in which he scored 13 goals and two assists.

The thirty-five year old has won the Italian Cup twice, the Italian Super Cup, the Dutch Cup, the Dutch Super Cup, was voted into the Serie A team of the season or was among the thirty nominees to win the Ballon d’Or.

He played 105 games for the Belgium senior national team, scoring twenty-one goals and thirty assists.

Source: Transfermarkt, Kiss Kiss