Inter’s sporting director Piero Ausilio is keeping in touch with Matteo Darmian’s agent as the defender ponders a return to Italy, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Juventus want Darmian to replace Joao Cancelo and have reached a verbal agreement with the Manchester United outcast.

Ausilio has not given up on signing him either, though, not least because he knows Antonio Conte enjoyed coaching him with the national team.

Napoli are a third club monitoring Darmian and it is likely he will join whichever side completes their necessary player sales first.

Inter already have Dalbert and Perisic on the left-hand side of Conte’s 3-5-2 system, but their new head coach seems reluctant to play either of them at wing-back this year.

Napoli, meanwhile, are looking to offload Elseid Hysaj, while Juventus need Cancelo to leave after an underwhelming first season.

Darmian made just five starts for United last season as Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer collectively led them to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.