Inter will go all out to sign Fiorentina forward Federico Chiesa and Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku if they can sell Mauro Icardi this summer, Tuttosport reported today.
The Nerazzurri are unlikely to find any clubs willing to trigger the forward’s €110 million release clause but they would consider any offer above €60 million.
Icardi has repeatedly stated he wants to stay at Inter, with whom his contract does not expire until 2021, but Beppe Marotta would much prefer to get rid of the 26-year-old and free up transfer funds for new boss Antonio Conte.
The alternative to selling Icardi for cash would be to swap him with Juventus forward Paulo Dybala, but Dybala remains hesitant to entertain such an idea for the moment.
Juventus could make a straight cash offer for Icardi even if they do not hand Dybala to Inter, but they are unlikely to do this until July and it would not be for a price Inter consider acceptable.
Icardi’s departure would give Inter far more room for maneouvre in the transfer market, although they would not have unlimited funds to chase Chiesa and Lukaku.
The Nerazzurri are required to spend €20 million in order to purchase Matteo Politano from Sassuolo while they are already locked in talks to sign Roma striker Edin Dzeko and Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella.
Marotta and Piero Ausilio will therefore need to move on several of the club’s fringe players as well, such as Dalbert, Joao Mario, Borja Valero, Yann Karamoh and Matias Vecino.
Radja Nainggolan and Ivan Perisic are expected to stay at Inter as they are considered ‘functional’ for Conte’s style of play, but they too could be sacrificed if an interesting offer arrives.
