Dries Mertens at a Glance
- Net Worth (2025): $25 Million
- Birthdate: May 6, 1987
- Birthplace: Leuven, Belgium
- Nationality: Belgian
- Profession: Professional Footballer
What is Dries Mertens’s Net Worth?
Dries Mertens has a net worth of $25 million. The Belgian professional footballer accumulated his wealth primarily through high-value contracts and salaries from top-tier European clubs, including SSC Napoli in Italy and Galatasaray in Turkey.
Mertens’s fortune is built on a career spanning over two decades, marked by consistent performance at the highest levels of professional football. His most lucrative period was during his long tenure at Napoli, where his salary peaked. In addition to club earnings, his wealth is supplemented by performance bonuses and fees from his long-standing role with the Belgian national team, for whom he has made over 100 appearances.
Galatasaray Salary
Dries Mertens’s move to Galatasaray in 2022 secured his financial standing following his departure from Napoli. His initial contract with the Turkish Süper Lig champions included a reported annual salary of €2.9 million, complemented by a signing bonus of €1.1 million. This deal has kept him among the higher earners in the league while playing a key role in the team’s domestic success.
Napoli Legacy
A significant portion of Dries Mertens’s wealth and public profile was established during his nine-year spell at SSC Napoli, from 2013 to 2022. He became a club legend, breaking the all-time scoring record by surpassing legends like Diego Maradona and Marek Hamšík. Mertens concluded his Napoli career with 148 goals.
His deep connection with the city and its fans earned him the honorary Neapolitan nickname “Ciro.” This status not only defined his career but also enhanced his marketability and public image in Italy.
Early Life
Dries Mertens was born in Leuven, Belgium. He began his football journey in the youth academy of the local club Stade Leuven before moving to the famed Anderlecht academy. In 2003, Anderlecht’s coaches released him, judging him to be too short and physically slight to succeed at a professional level. This setback led him to join the youth setup of KAA Gent.
Career
Dries Mertens began his professional career not with a top club, but on loan from Gent to Eendracht Aalst in the Belgian Third Division. His impressive form there earned him a move to the Netherlands, signing with Eerste Divisie club AGOVV Apeldoorn. At AGOVV, he developed into a key player and was eventually named club captain.
His success in the Dutch second tier led to a transfer to the Eredivisie club FC Utrecht in 2009. After two strong seasons, Mertens made a significant leap to one of the league’s top clubs, PSV Eindhoven, in 2011. At PSV, he formed a potent attacking partnership with teammate Lorenzo Insigne and won the KNVB Cup in 2012.
In 2013, Mertens transferred to SSC Napoli in Italy’s Serie A. It was at Napoli that he became a world-class forward. Initially a winger, he was successfully converted to a central striker, leading to the most prolific goal-scoring periods of his career. He won the Coppa Italia twice with the club. After nine seasons, he left Napoli in 2022 as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Following his exit from Italy, Mertens signed with Galatasaray in Turkey. He made an immediate impact, helping the Istanbul-based club win the Süper Lig title in his first season. He has also been a fixture for the Belgian national team, representing the “Red Devils” in multiple FIFA World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022) and UEFA European Championships.
