Inter have signed Empoli’s 16-year-old centre-back Alessandro Fantanarosa as part of their deal for Davide Merola, according to Corriere dello Sport.
The Tuscan outfit are thought to have purchased Merola for €500,000, granting Inter a 50% cut of any future transfer fee they get for the forward.
Fantanarosa made 20 appearances for Empoli’s under-17 side last season as they reached the final phase of their league tournament.
He will most likely be coached by Inter’s treble-winning defender Christian Chivu in Milan, after the Romanian was promoted to coach the under-17s this year.
Merola’s contract with Inter was due to expire next summer, meaning his club had no choice but to seek a permanent sale now.
He made 32 appearances in all competitions for Inter’s Primavera side last season, scoring 12 goals and creating three assists.
Merola’s most eye-catching goal of the campaign came during a 4-2 win against Tottenham in the UEFA Youth League, but Armando Madonna’s side were eliminated at the group stage.
He is widely reported to have picked Empoli over other interested clubs because of reassurance he received over how much game time he will get.
