Inter CEO Beppe Marotta feels that there is reason to be optimistic that defender Milan Skriniar will extend his contract, although the decision ultimately lies in the hands of the player.

Speaking to Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, the Nerazzurri executive made clear that it is all up to the 27-year-old how the negotiations conclude, and also declined to comment on recent reports of the club being up for sale by owners Suning.

Skriniar’s contract situation is one of the outstanding matters for the club to sort out over the coming weeks.

Given that the Slovakian’s current deal is set to run out at the end of June 2023, the club don’t want there to be any chance of losing him on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The Nerazzurri have been reported as ready to offer Skriniar a new deal with significantly improved wages.

However, particularly with the interest of Paris Saint-Germain still remaining in the background, it is not a foregone conclusion that an agreement will be reached.

Asked about the negotiations, Marotta said that “We’re confident, even if clearly a lot depends on what he intends.”

“But in my role I have to be optimistic,” he added.

Of the reports of a sale on the way, the CEO replied that “I’ll just say that this is a situation above my pay grade.”

“I can only say that the owners are very close to the team and the club, and that they’ve always fulfilled their financial obligations.”

“I have to point out that the Zhang family have given hundreds of millions of euros to the directors to work with,” he pointed out.

Of the team’s difficult start to the campaign, Marotta said that “In reality it’s as if we began the season with an invisible handicap that we didn’t understand.”

“Then there was a confrontation within the locker room, as happens frequently, and then the coach proved that he was able to get everyone back on track, and now the team looks like a carbon copy of last season’s,” the CEO said.

“I’m confident for the future,” Marotta said of the rest of the season.