Sampdoria Sporting Director On Inter Milan, Napoli & Juventus Target: ‘We’d Prefer Not To Sell Him, We’d Want Him Back On Loan’

Sampdoria Sporting Director Pietro Accardi says that the Blucerchiati would prefer to hold onto Inter Milan and Napoli target Giovanni Leoni.

Accardi spoke to Genoa-based newspaper Il Secolo XIX in an interview published in today’s print edition, via FCInterNews. He added that Sampdoria would like Leoni back on loan this summer if they do sell him.

Leoni is a player who has come onto Inter’s radar this summer.

The Italian youth team international defender may only be seventeen years of age. However, he has already marked himself out as a major prospect for the future.

Leoni spent last season on loan with Sampdoria from Padova. However, the Blucerchiati had a purchase option on the teenager, signing him permanently this summer for €1.5 million.

Leoni would already be worth considerably more than Sampdoria paid for him, however.

If the Ligurians were to cash in they would be able to make a considerable profit. Reports have indicated that he could go for a fee of €5-6 million.

And Sampdoria could even hope that a bidding war – or another season of improvement at the Marassi – could further raise that valuation.

Sampdoria Sporting Director Says Blucerchiati Don’t Want To Sell Inter Target Giovanni Leoni

Inter are very keen on signing Leoni. They have been the subject of the strongest links with the 17-year-old this summer.

However, the Nerazzurri are not the only club to show an interest in Leoni.

Napoli have also shown a strong interest in signing the teenage defender.

Juventus and Torino are reportedly also keen from within Serie A.

And then the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Monaco have reportedly shown an interest in bringing the Italian to the Premier League and Ligue 1 respectively.

Sampdoria are therefore well aware that they will be listening to offers for Leoni this summer.

The Ligurian club’s Sporting Director Accardi admitted that “If it were up to us, we’d prefer not to sell him.”

“Because we know that if we are to sell him now, we won’t get as much as we could for him.”

Accardi made clear that “We’ve asked the clubs who want to sign him to loan him back to us for a year.”