Inter were priced out of a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Ngolo Kante last summer, a report in the Italian media revealed today.
Calciomercato.com said Antonio Conte made an express request to sign the Frenchman as he felt Kante was the player needed to upgrade his midfield.
Inter and Chelsea never even began talks because the club could not afford to get anywhere near the Blues’ asking price, which was above €60 million.
Kante would likely be valued even higher by Chelsea now, the report suggested, following his excellent performance at Real Madrid in last night’s UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg.
Conte had a strong relationship with Kante during his two years in charge at Chelsea, winning the Premier League title at his first attempt in 2017.
He is now on the verge of taking Inter back to the top step of Serie A, with the Nerazzurri requiring just four points from their last five games to be confirmed as champions.
Kante has provided three assists in 42 appearances for Chelsea this season.
