Inter Sporting Director Piero Ausilio has opened up about Inter’s transfer market strategy and ambitions heading into the summer transfer window.

Speaking at a forum in Rimini marking the opening of the transfer market, as reported by FCInter1908, Ausilio confirmed that the Nerazzurri are working on a deal that would see Achraf Hakimi depart from the club, but also stated that no more major sales are expected.

Ausilio’s words came after those o Nerazzurri CEO Beppe Marotta, who also talked about the club’s transfer approach and spoke about the wider market and the finances of football.

Ausilio reiterated Marotta’s message that Inter’s agenda in the summer will be to exercise as much financial discipline as possible and meet financial targets, though he also reassures fans that the squad will not be weakened significantly.

Asked about whether he regrets the fact that the club are having to sell Hakimi after working hard to bring in the Moroccan last summer, he had this to say:

“Things move very fast, you burn through practically everything, we must respect the times.

“We are talking to PSG, it is an opportunity, though we are still a long way from talking about a closure. Let’s wait for when we are done, when it will be something definitive.”

About whether more major players can be expected to be sold after Hakimi, Ausilio said this:

“I know that Marotta has already said it, the idea is to sacrifice a player for whom there is interest on the market, and Hakimi is the one who sticks out, we don’t think we must go further.

“We have to do many other small things to reach the goal set by the owners, which we plan to achieve between now and the end of August.”

Asked about the recent signing of Hakan Calhanoglu on a free transfer from city rivals AC Milan, the Sporting Director had this to say:

“We didn’t talk about it because a particular situation happened to Christian. We have a duty to be ready as a club.”

Ausilio emphasizes that the situation with Christian Eriksen being ruled out with his health problems was the reason for Calhanoglu’s arrival, and that dealing with sporting matters is important even as the club personally supports Eriksen.

“We wait for Eriksen, we know it will be a long journey and we are close to him, we will give him all the time and we hope he can go back to doing what he was before.

“However, we are Inter and we must also think about the good of the club and the Calhanoglu opportunity arrived.”

Asked about purported transfer interest in Sassuolo’s Giacomo Raspadori, this was Ausilio’s response:

“Raspadori, I can only say that he is a player that all of Italy appreciates for his quality and seriousness, I have known and appreciated him since he was in the youth sector.”

He continued, “In my opinion Sassuolo will still enjoy him for a while, [Sassuolo CEO Giovanni] Carnevali is a tough guy, he doesn’t sell easily and we are not in a position to present ourselves seriously for Raspadori.

“We believe he’s not on the market and our striker department is complete.”

Ausilio was asked about the likes of Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and Chelsea’s Davide Zappacosta, two players linked with the club as replacements for Hakimi, and he said this:

“Hakimi is still an Inter player, I’m not talking about replacements until there is something definitive. We control the market and we know it, we will be ready if this eventuality happens.”

Finally, on the purported interest in Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter, these were his words:

“I read and hear of each of the names approached, even Onana has come out, but the goalkeepers in the squad are of sufficient quality, and covers us for the present and the future.

“Let’s not forget that [Primavera keeper Filip] Stankovic is very strong, and there is Brazao [a 20-year-old Brazilian keeper returning to Inter from loan] who will soon be talked about because he is a really good player.”