Inter have identified Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin as a target to replace the outgoing Achraf Hakimi with the Moroccan virtually certain to depart for Paris Saint-Germain.
This according to today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, who report that the Nerazzurri have made contact with the London club about the possibility of a loan for the 26-year-old with an option to buy.
Hakimi’s sale is set to be confirmed in the next day or two, and the Nerazzurri will hope to bring in a replacement who has the right characteristics to fill the void in the squad left by the loss of the Moroccan’s profile.
Bellerin could be the right player, and Inter Sporting Director Piero Ausilio has already made contact with Arsenal about a possible deal for the Spanish full-back.
The Gunners are said to want at least €20 million for the player, and it is reported that the Nerazzurri are hoping to make a financial offer that they will be happy with on the terms of a loan with an option to buy next summer.
At the moment the likeliest alternative to Bellerin’s arrival would be a move for Chelsea’s Davide Zappacosta, though the Italian could prove hard to make a deal for after his parent club failed to secure Hakimi from Inter.
Marcos Alonso, another Chelsea player, could prove to be a similar situation, with a third Chelsea player, Napoli-linked Emerson Palmieri, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic among the other options on the left side though as of yet there is little clarity on the situation with approaches for all current targets presenting difficulties to the Nerazzurri.
In the meantime, Inter are still working on a deal to send Radja Nainggolan to Cagliari permanently with the club hoping to finish up a deal by the end of the month, and the likes of Nice, Villarreal, and Besiktas have all made contact over Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario should a deal with Sporting CP prove impossible to reach.
