On Wednesday, Dries Mertens posted a heartfelt farewell message to Napoli fans, teammates and staff on his Instagram page. In the post, Mertens thanked the people of Napoli and confirmed that he will keep his house on the bay, so he can return home as often as possible.
Dear Neapolitans, my fellow citizens. I knew this day would come eventually, but I never knew it would be so difficult for me…Saying goodbye to this city that adopted me, that loved me and supported me through both difficult times and wonderful times. The records and victories will be in the books, but the people and city will forever live in my heart. I am so proud that my son Ciro was born in Napoli, and when he’ll travel the world he’ll always be Neapolitan. I on the other hand was not born here like him, but for 9 years Napoli has been my home, and we all know that the city has become a part of my blood. That’s why I decided to keep my house by the bay, so that I can return home as often as I can. To the club, all my colleagues, trainers, fans, friends, and to each and every Neapolitan, I can only say one word: GRAZIE. My departure did not go the way I wanted it to…but for me this is not goodbye, it’s only a “see you later.” Napoli…what a time we had
Grazie Napoli
SSC Napoli thanked Mertens for his service on July 24th, but in the absence of an announcement that Mertens had joined a new club, fans remained hopeful that a new agreement could be reached. Mertens’ farewell post confirms that the Belgian will not return to Napoli for the 2022/23 campaign.
Mertens is Napoli’s all-time top goal scorer, with 148 goals in 396 appearances in all competitions during his nine seasons at at the club. Napoli are reportedly close to signing US Sassuolo forward Giacomo Raspadori as a potential replacement for Mertens.
[…] signing of ex-Napoli forward Dries Mertens. Rumours of a move to Galatasaray surfaced shortly after Mertens posted a farewell message to Napoli fans on his various social media […]