Manchester United Reportedly Eyeing Summer Swoop for Napoli Superstar Dries Mertens

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is exploring the possibility of activating the release clause in Dries Mertens contract at Napoli, according to reports in The Sun.

The forward has been a revelation for Napoli over the past two seasons, scoring a very impressive 45 goals in that time. Many would expect a player so deadly in front of goal would demand a hefty fee, but Mertens has a surprisingly low release clause. 

For teams outside Italy, Mertens can be prized away from Napoli for just £25m and Manchester United representatives have reportedly made contact with his associates to get the ball rolling on a summer deal.

Napoli were desperate to amend the Belgian's contract in an attempt to avoid losing such a gifted player for so little money, but it appears that they were not able to tie him down to an extended deal.

Mertens has been instrumental for Napoli in a season where they have pushed Juventus all the way for the Serie A title, but it now appears they will fall just short of preventing them obtaining a seventh successive Italian title.

The 30-year-old is likely to be just one of numerous Napoli stars that may look to leave the club in the summer for a new challenge. His versatility is reportedly very appealing to Jose Mourinho, who sees him as being a great option to bolster his attacking options.

Mertens joined Napoli from PSV Eindhoven in 2013 for a fee of around £9m and despite starting slowly at the Stadio San Paolo, has exploded into life in the past two seasons.