The agent of current Hajduk Split and former Inter and Atalanta Marko Livaja has revealed that the Croat made a point of choosing to join the Nerazzurri.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia transfer market expert Gianluca Di Marzio on his homepage, Livaja’s agent Vincenzo Cavaliere gave some background on the striker’s time at Inter.
Livaja joined Inter’s youth academy from that of Hajduk Split in 2010, and made his first team debut for the Nerazzurri in 2011.
The Croatian striker had been a player with a big reputation even from a young age, although his performances for the Nerazzurri never quite lived up to the early promise.
Livaja joined Atalanta from Inter in 2013, and then made a few moves before ending up back at his old club Hajduk Split, where he currently plays his football.
The 29-year-old was called up to his national team’s squad for the World Cup, where he started against Canada and scored in a 4-1 group stage win.
The striker’s agent recalled, “Everyone wanted him in 2010, believe me, all the big names in Serie A, La Liga, and the Premier League asked for information. Juve, Milan, Barcelona.”
“But he chose Inter, who’d come off the back of winning the Treble.”
“He was never given the real possibility to express himself consistently, though,” Cavaliere looked back.
“[Then-Inter Sporting Director Marco] Branca summoned us to his office and gives us an ultimatum, ‘Either you make the move to Atalanta or you play for the Primavera.'”
“It was almost like blackmail,” he said.
“[Former Nerazzurri President Massimo] Moratti would have gladly kept him, he was against the transfer.”
“Eintracht were also interested in Marko, but Branca was pushing for Atalanta so that they could sign Schelotto in a swap.”
