Dries Mertens will be key for Napoli down the stretch

Dries Mertens will be key for Napoli down the stretch if they hope to finish in the top four and grab a spot in next season’s Champions League.

Napoli have played four games since soccer returned following the coronavirus outbreak. Over that time, the highlight reel includes Napoli winning the Coppa Italia (overcoming Juventus in the final on penalties) and a 2-0 victory against Verona in their first Serie A game since the season went on pause.

Here’s another fact: Dries Mertens is invaluable to this team. If Napoli wants to finish the season strong — and grab a spot in next season’s Champions League — they will have to depend largely on the form and success of the standout Belgian international.

Should Mertens rise to the occasion, Napoli will have turned around a poor start. Should he fail, Napoli could plunge down the standings and finish an otherwise mediocre season.

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Mertens, who recently became the team’s all-time leading scorer when he hit the 122-goal mark, signed a new deal that will see him under contract at Napoli through 2022, ending speculation he could end up at Chelsea or Inter Milan.

Why will Dries Mertens be so important to Napoli this season?

Metens’ importance to Napoli was highlighted last Tuesday against Verona, the team’s first Serie A match since March. The players donned a special edition jersey Verona marking Mertens’ milestone.

Like Diego Maradona, Mertens will forever be a Napoli legend. Since Maradona’s departure from Naples in 1991, there have been several players who aimed to fill the void.

There was Edinson Cavani, but the Uruguayan didn’t stick around long enough and eventually left for PSG. There was Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain, but he broke the hearts of millions of fans by signing with rivals Juventus.

While Mertens’ place in club history is secure, he will need to use this season to cement that legacy. The pandemic has made for a rough time and the return to games a sign that normalcy is slowly returning.

Capturing the Coppa Italia did a lot in terms of momentum for coach Gennaro Gattuso’s side. As a result, the Partenopei have a real chance to finish the season as one of the country’s best teams and a title contender going into next season. That largely depends on Mertens. He will need to muster all his offensive skills to lead the club that he loves.