Barcelona missed out on Napoli star in January

Barcelona reportedly missed out on the chance to sign Napoli star Dries Mertens in the winter transfer exchange.

The Belgian attacker runs out of contract in the summer and is expected to leave Naples after seven long years.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Monaco are all said to be keeping tabs on the 32-year-old.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca followed Mertens for a while before not opting to sign him in the winter exchange as they found his performances unconvincing.

On the contrary, Mertens has been quite impressive for Partenopei this season, racking up 11 goals and 5 assists in all competitions. He also netted a stunning goal in the recent Serie A game against Cagliari, which ensured Napoli three points at the crucial stage of the league.

Barca passed up their opportunity to sign a short-term replacement for Luis Suarez in January as they were steadfast on not repeating the same mistake they did with Kevin-Prince Boateng last season.