Arsenal Star The Favourite As Inter Milan Prepared To Splash The Cash On A Defender

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is on Inter Milan’s radar again as the Nerazzurri aim to make a big defensive signing.

This according to today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInter1908, who report that the Nerazzurri are prepared to allocate a significant amount of their remaining budget to a defender, and that Tomiyasu is high on their list.

On paper, Inter do still have a fair bit of money to spend in the transfer market this summer.

Even taking into account the club’s mandate to self-finance their business, there is still plenty of cash on hand from the big money sale of goalkeeper Andre Onana to Manchester United.

The big question, however, concerns how and where the Nerazzurri will spend it.

There are still slots to be filled in the squad. Inter will in all likelihood sign a midfielder, a striker, and a defender before the transfer window closes.

And according to Tuttosport, it could be on the latter position that the Nerazzurri decide to splash the cash.

Inter Could Go After Takehiro Tomiyasu With Remaining Transfer Budget

Signing a defender to replace Milan Skriniar was a priority for Inter even before the summer transfer window opened.

And yet, the Nerazzurri have been putting doing so off to pursue other deals all summer along.

The Nerazzurri have made a total of seven signings already, and Carlos Augusto is on the way too.

Inter have prioritized investing in a fee for midfielder Davide Frattesi, and the wages of striker Marcus Thuram. But they’ve yet to move decisively for a defender to replace Skriniar.

In the meantime, there have been plenty of names to emerge on the Nerazzurri’s list of defensive targets, ranging from low-cost opportunities to ambitious targets, veterans to promising youngsters.

But as of yet, Inter have not sealed any deals in defense apart from that of Yann Bisseck.

In recent weeks it has looked as though Inter might end up going after a low-cost defensive option. The Nerazzurri have been pursuing deals for Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic, and a striker.

But with the Samardzic deal on the verge of collapsing, and a relatively inexpensive signing of Marko Arnautovic looking to be close, Inter may not be spending too much more in midfield and attack after all.

According to Tuttosport, that means that the Nerazzurri will have cash on hand to sign a defender.

And, the newspaper reports, Arsenal’s Tomiyasu is at the top of their shortlist.