Antonio Conte leaving Inter could spark a nasty domino effect with the Nerazzurri’s star players, according to a report in the Italian media today.
Gazzetta dello Sport’s print edition said Inter had to finish the transfer window with a profit of €100 million, as explained to the club’s directors by Steven Zhang.
This means Inter will probably sell more than one ‘untouchable’ player, which puts everyone in the squad at risk of being sold.
Everything will depend on what offers Inter receive, so there is complete uncertainty over who will leave the club in the coming weeks.
Inter’s hope is to sacrifice important but not essential players like Christian Eriksen or Marcelo Brozovic, but the players with most interest are others.
Lautaro Martinez has interest from Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, while Mino Raiola is moving to seek a buyer for Stefan de Vrij and PSG chase Achraf Hakimi.
Romelu Lukaku is unlikely to take the news of Conte’s exit well, the Milan-based paper warned, and he could guarantee Inter a sum north of €100 million.
Nobody is untouchable anymore now that Conte is set to leave, and that is not pessimism but ‘healthy realism’.
It is difficult to digest just weeks after Inter won the Serie A title, the report added, but this is the brutal reality.