Mehdi Taremi is pushing to start for Inter Milan in their Serie A opener against Genoa, as he has no intention of just being a backup striker.

This according to today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews.

32-year-old Iranian international Taremi is certainly one of Inter’s most significant signings of the summer transfer window.

The Nerazzurri have not prioritized bringing too many players in this summer. Rather, the main objective has been to keep last season’s squad together.

Any players who have arrived have been brought in with the idea of bolstering the squad depth.

That is the case with Taremi, as well as with fellow free transfer signing Piotr Zielinski.

That does not mean, however, that the Iranian will only be a backup player, or primarily play as a substitute.

Far from it.

Taremi has come in so that there is real competition for a starting spot in attack. And so that when one of Lautaro Martinez or Marcus Thuram is injured or needs a rest, there is a real starting-quality alternative.

Taremi Won’t Settle For Backup Role At Inter – Likely To Start Vs Genoa

So far in preseason, Taremi has proven to be the striker who Inter hoped he would be.

The 32-year-old arrived hungry. He has been part of Inter’s preseason training camp from the start.

And in the Nerazzurri’s first two preseason friendly matches, against Lugano and Pergolettese, the former Porto striker has shone.

Taremi has scored three goals so far in preseason. And his overall performances have had a lot more to them than just goals.

Therefore, it is clear that the Iran international is not just going to sit on the bench for much of the season.

And in fact, Taremi will likely already get a chance to start in Inter’s first match of the season.

French international striker Marcus Thuram is back in Inter’s training camp on the third of next month. Inter captain Lautaro Martinez returns on the seventh or eighth meanwhile, after winning the Copa America with Argentina.

Inter’s first match of the Serie A season is on August 17th. They take on Genoa to kick off the season.

Thuram and Martinez will have a week or two to get themselves into condition for that match.

Taremi, meanwhile, will have had a full preseason under his belt by then.

Therefore, the 32-year-old anticipates that he’ll be just cresting into his best form, both physically and in terms of his tactical fit in the team, when the match against Genoa comes around.

Therefore, Taremi is likely to start in that match.