Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio has admitted that the club was surprised when Romelu Lukaku made it clear he would like to leave the club in the summer, according to a report in the Italian broadcast media.

Speaking during a long interview with Sky Sport, via FCInternews, Piero Ausilio explained that in the case of Achraf Hakimi the club were prepared to sell him but in the case of Romelu Lukaku, the departure was unexpected.

“There was some disorientation when Lukaku told us he wants to leave, it was not expected. We knew that we would have to make a sacrifice on the market and Hakimi’s was organized and prepared because we were talking with PSG about this opportunity, but what happened with Lukaku was unexpected.

“Especially when you get there, in the middle of the season, you find it hard to reorganize yourself in those ideas that can keep Inter’s competitiveness at the highest levels.

“It was good because we did not lose heart, we had the strength, the ability and even a bit of imagination: we identified the coach and the players who could be the best.”

Inter decided to quickly sign both Edin Dzeko and Joaquin Correa to act as a duel replacement for Romelu Lukaku, Piero Ausilio feels the club did an excellent job.

“Today we replaced Lukaku with Dzeko and Correa, and under those conditions, it means that an excellent job has been done and the games are confirming it.”

Inter have two important players that are out of contract at the end of the season, Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic. Piero Ausilio discussed the increasingly common situation, saying: “Today the free transfer is an opportunity if you go to seize it, but at the same time it is a situation you have to live with.

“It is right to have to accept it. We are an example, but as you have seen there are others. We are doing it with our players, but times are different because they all have different situations.

“There is one player who expires at a certain age, there is one who has a desire perhaps about going somewhere else, there is one who is expiring because they are simply negotiating and therefore require a little more patience.

“At the moment there are many free transfers: this does not mean that it is easier to take them, it means that many times the requests and needs of these free transfers are too high compared to those that the market then offers. So you go a little more cautious and try to pick the right one.”

Piero Ausilio was keen to stress that the club is in negotiations with these players and the recent deals for Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez show it can be done.

“To date we have already completed three contract renewals such as those of Bastoni, Barella and Lautaro. Maybe they weren’t immediate maturities, but they are important assets for what they represent as value on the market and also for age.

“And also because it was right to give these guys an award for the work they had done over the years and for the growth they have had over the years. We are discussing with others: we are discussing with Dimarco, with Brozovic, soon we will also do it with Perisic, with Handanovic and with some others.

“Dimarco on the home straight? No, not yet but I would say that there is little time left because the will on both sides has been clearly expressed. We are discussing the things that are normal to discuss.

“De Vrij? I do not understand why there is so much talk about him, he still has one and a half years on his contract, like others. Brozovic, Perisic, Handanovic and Vecino instead have different deadlines so maybe there will be a bit more haste and attention to these situations, trying to understand if there are possibilities to close.”

On the topic of Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana, Piero Ausilio stressed that the club does not want to enter the market in January.

“He is one of those players I constantly read about. I think like many teams we also have some here at Inter who are about to expire their contracts. We look at everything, including these opportunities that may come.

“For January or June? I already talked about it well before, it will be June, the January market is not a market we are thinking about at the moment.”