Frank Lampard is reportedly in constant talks with Napoli forward Dries Mertens to convince the player to pick Chelsea over Liverpool.
The Napoli forward was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in January but ended up staying in Serie A with his contract set to expire in the summer.
And Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of the Belgian, Italian transfer expert Vincenzo Morabito has claimed.
‘Mertens had originally said he wanted to stay at Napoli, but then his lawyer started offering him to various international clubs, meaning something changed between the player and the Azzurri,’ he told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli (as reported by Football Italia).
‘I know this because I was working on the Olivier Giroud issue when he was meant to leave Chelsea in January, with a lucrative contract line up for Mertens.
‘Chelsea have now extended Giroud’s contract as a precaution, but they are very interested in Mertens and Lampard is calling him almost every day. I can see Mertens going to Chelsea.’ Mertens is yet to decide his future but will not be short of options with his free agent status making him an attractive option for several clubs affected by the coronavirus crisis.
The forward has 12 goals and six assists in 29 games across all competitions this season.
He recently became Napoli’s all-time leading scorer when he netted his 121st goal, taking him above Marek Hamsik. Lampard has already signed Hakim Ziyech from Ajax who will join up with the squad on July 1.