West Ham considering big money move for Napoli forward Dries Mertens

Slaven Bilic’s West Ham are willing to bid €30 million to try and lure Dries Mertens away from Napoli this summer, according to reports in Italy (via Sport Witness).

The Hammers have seriously struggled in the attacking department this term, with Michail Antonio their top-scorer in the Premier League with just nine goals, and their top-scoring striker being Andy Carroll, who has played just 18 times in the league, with seven.

And when you consider that the other forwards, Andre Ayew, Diafra Sakho, Ashley Fletcher, and Jonathan Calleri, have managed just seven league goals between them, it’s clear where the problem has been this term.

And it’s a problem manager Bilic is looking to rectify, as he is reportedly weighing up a big money move for Napoli forward Mertens, who has had a sensational season in Serie A this term.

The 30-year-old has bagged in incredible 25 goals in just 33 league appearances for the side this season, including five in his last five games, and with eight assists in the league as well, it’s clear how integral he has been to Napoli’s charge to third place in the Italian top-flight.

And with his current contract in Naples set to expire at the end of next season, speculation has been building about the Belgium international’s future, and it could result in West Ham launching a bid for the forward this summer.

Whether Mertens would swap Naples for East London very much remains to be seen, but what seems clear is that the Hammers are looking to seriously bolster their squad ahead of next season’s Premier League campaign.