It was the summer of 2013. Napoli were enjoying one of their most splendid transfer campaigns in recent memory. President Aurelio De Laurentiis was adamant on consolidating the club’s status among Calcio’s elite.
He appointed an internationally experienced manager in Rafael Benitez to oversee a total revamp. Gonzalo Higuain’s arrival was at the time the most celebrated signing in Campania perhaps since the arrival of his iconic compatriot Diego Armando Maradona.
The hitman had come to replace Edinson Cavani, and was accompanied by another two Real Madrid players who made the trip to southern Italy: Raul Albiol and José Callejon.
Moreover, the Partenopei welcomed back their most exciting youngster at the time, a young winger who went by the name of Lorenzo Insigne. The explosive talent had torn the opposition apart during the previous campaign while on loan at Pescara alongside fellow youngsters Marco Verratti and Ciro Immobile, skyrocketing Zdenek Zeman’s side toward Serie A promotion.
Nine years later, a diminutive young forward is leaving the Maradona Stadium as the all-time best goal-scorer of the club. But surprisingly, it wasn’t Insigne to achieve this extraordinary feat at his hometown club. Instead, it was Dries Mertens who seized the Napoli crown.
Despite showcasing his talent at PSV Eindhoven, the Belgian was mostly an afterthought upon his landing in Italy. After all, the patron managed to bolster his ranks with some stunning names on the market during that summer, while fans and observers alike where vividly anticipating the launching of the new attacking trio of Callejon, Higuain and Insigne.
At the time, few would have imagined that the Leuven native would leave a legacy at the formerly-named San Paolo Stadium that would exceed all others. After all, Mertens was 26 at the time he joined Napoli, and his fame was still limited to the Benelux countries.
Yet, the Belgian swiftly cemented himself as a valuable and indispensable piece of the manager’s jigsaw, leaving the younger Insigne to initially struggle for a recurring role.
Despite his foreign status, the winger rapidly won over the hearts of the passionate fanbase, who appreciated his dedication and determination on the pitch. For the Neapolitans, the name “Dries” was barely recognizable at that point, so they decided to name their beloved star “Ciro” which is one of the most common names in Naples. In order to pledge his eternal allegiance to Napoli, Mertens would then commemorate his tie to the city by naming his son Ciro.
When it comes to the Partenopei’s all-time best scorers, one would expect an immortal icon like Maradona to be topping the list, or perhaps a top class center forward like Cavani or Higuain. Maybe someone like Marek Hamsik who spent the majority of his career serving the Azzurri. Or how about a youth product like Insigne?
For his part, Mertens doesn’t fit any of the descriptions listed below. Yet, the short winger leaves the club with a goal-tally that dwarves all those illustrious names. The Belgium international was the one who filled the gap left by Higuain’s shocking transfer to Juventus, transforming himself into a lethal false nine and finding great success in the process.
This weekend, Napoli announced the departure of Mertens after failing to reach an agreement regarding a contract renewal. Coincidentally, the 35-year-old leaves in a similar manner to which he had arrived to the city, making less noise than his fellow departing teammates (mainly Insigne and Kalidou Koilubaly).
Yet, this tale remains one of the most unusual success stories in recent memory. From afterthought to star, from winger to striker, from foreigner to adopted son, from Dries to Ciro. This is a saga like no other; one that would be unimaginable in other place but Italian football, and in particularly the city of City.