Achraf Hakimi has thanked Antonio Conte for helping him become a more complete defender since his move to Inter.
The Moroccan international joined in a €40 million deal from Real Madrid last summer and has enjoyed a great first season with the Nerazzurri.
Hakimi is one of several players being linked with other clubs ahead of the summer, with the club known to be battling serious financial problems, but he seems focused on Inter for now.
The 22-year-old told Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this week: “We can begin a cycle with Conte in Italy and in Europe.
“I’ve had to learn how to defend better and more with him.
“The coach called me to persuade me to come to Inter; he explained what my role would be and how I would have been decisive.
“He made me feel important.”
Hakimi was speaking in an interview for Sportweek, a magazine published every Saturday by the Milan-based paper, with the above comments appearing on the front page.
The full conversation will therefore be made public tomorrow, but it seems the Moroccan international is not considering a departure from the Nerazzurri at the moment.
Conte’s future remains in doubt as he awaits face-to-face talks with Steven Zhang about Suning’s plans for Inter.
