Newcastle in for Dries Mertens?

Newcastle United are reportedly prepared to rival Premier League's elite in the pursuit of Napoli striker Dries Mertens.

The Belgium international had recently held secret talks with Manchester United officials ahead of a potential move in the summer.

The Magpies are on course to attain automatic promotion from the Championship at the end of the season, and it is understood that manager Rafael Benitez has high ambitions for the summer.

According to The Star, Mertens have emerged as a potential target for the Tyneside club with Rafa keen on a reunion with his former player.

Mertens has emerged as one of the in-form strikers in Europe following Arek Milik's injury earlier in the campaign, and this has upped his value significantly to the £35m range.

The former PSV man has just a year left on his Napoli contract, and he is open to a Premier League challenge amid the Serie A club's reluctance to reward him with an improved contract.

Mertens has netted 24 goals across all competitions for Napoli during the ongoing campaign.