Antonio Conte will have to wait until ‘at least tomorrow’ before meeting Steven Zhang, according to a report in the Italian media tonight.
Gazzetta.it said the much-anticipated summit between Conte, Zhang and Inter’s directors had once again failed to materialise today, against all expectations.
Inter are keen to keep everything out of the media spotlight – unlike last summer when everyone met at Villa Bellini – so there is still no certainty over when and where the meeting will take place.
What’s for sure is that it does not benefit anyone to keep waiting much longer, so the talks will surely be held very soon.
Zhang might have wanted to wait a little longer so he had time to analyse Inter’s finances and what he would present to Conte, following the €275 million deal agreed with Oaktree Capital last week.
They have not spoken face-to-face since the big summit last August, though, so it is time to get round a table together and discuss Suning’s plans for Inter.
Conte is out of contract next summer and the same applies to Beppe Marotta, Piero Ausilio and Dario Baccin, the Milan-based publication noted.
He would like to continue working with a group that he has forged in his own image, but not if Zhang intends to reduce Inter’s ambitions ahead of next season.
Conte’s future is likely to have a direct impact on the futures of Inter’s key players, who could choose to follow him out of the club if Conte parted company with the Nerazzurri.