A priority: the goalkeeper. A possible upgrade: via Dumfries, in the substitute. And the final touch: the striker. Inter and Simone Inzaghi already have clear ideas. Next week they will discuss the progress of the negotiations. But the plan to make Inter even more futuristic, even stronger, even more… “international” is already clear. And all energies are now focused on the arrival of a goalkeeper.
Yes to investment
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It’s not a random choice. But it is the result of the policy that Oaktree has transmitted to president Marotta and sporting director Ausilio: investments in young players or those with great growth potential are welcome. And in this sense the green light arrived on the goalkeeper next to Sommer. Not a deputy, but a profile who openly competes for the position with the Swiss. It will be a real investment. And there is a name that is making its way into the club’s ideas: Christos Mandas, a 22-year-old Greek from Lazio. He imposed himself in the second part of the season, so much so that his name ended up in the notebooks of several first-tier clubs. Claudio Lotito’s club is having difficulty in adapting his contract, which also has a long expiry date, 2028. And in the event of a sale, the capital gain would be enormous, considering that the player was paid only 1 million. Now it would take at least 15 times as much to take it away. Inter like Mandas and coach Inzaghi, who has had positive references, likes him. It won’t be easy to “attack” him precisely because of the contract until 2028. But Inter are looking to Italy to fill their gap between the posts. Mandas stood out in the last championship, when he was called to replace Provedel. And he doesn’t have a market price that’s too different from the other goalkeeper followed closely, the Spaniard Josep Denzel Martinez of Genoa, who is easier to hook given his contract expires in 2025. The third name is always the same, the Brazilian Bento. Here Athletico Paranaense is holding firm, to the point of having even raised the initial request from 20 million. Too much for Inter, who despite not having abandoned the track are now looking around.
In band
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The other open chapter is linked to Dumfries. Next week the Inter managers will have a meeting with the Dutchman’s agents. But renewal is now a distant possibility. Offers are expected for the player. Especially from the Premier League: it is from that championship that the most decisive signals have come, in particular from Aston Villa. It remains to be seen whether Emery’s team will follow up on the interest shown. It is clear that, in the event of a non-renewal, Inter would be forced to keep him in the squad even if faced with the scenario of losing the player to zero in a year’s time. We are still at the beginning of the market, there is time. But it is not a possibility that the Nerazzurri club excludes, also by virtue of a capital loss that would in any case be reduced.
Greetings
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And then there is the final touch to the transfer market, namely the striker. Everything is linked to the departure of Arnautovic, who up to now has closed the doors to a possible farewell. There has been talk of Fiorentina, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for the Austrian, but there is no progress today such as to imagine a transfer. In that department, however, Inter would like something else. He would like to give Inzaghi a player with different characteristics, not present in the squad. The name is always that of Gudmundsson. Yesterday the Icelandic was actually greeted by the president of Genoa, Alberto Zangrillo: “We wished him to chase his dream”. Gud’s dream is to climb a step into Serie A. He likes the Inter prospect, needless to say. And the Nerazzurri managers like him, as well as Inzaghi. The risk for DS Ausilio is linked to time. Because it is necessary to proceed with sales to raise a little treasure. We have already said about Dumfries, the other name with which the objective is to monetize is that of Valentin Carboni, who is not part of the technical plans for next season. In that way, Inter could think of approaching Genoa’s request for 30 million. The axis with the rossoblù club is hot, also considering the interest in Martinez. Not an easy road, certainly. But the Nerazzurri managers want to try all the way.
