Sky Sport Italia transfer market expert Gianluca Di Marzio believes that while Inter are still preparing to make a final push to try and sign Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah but are ready to sign Lazio’s Francesco Acerbi in the event that they cannot.

Reporting live on air, Di Marzio summarized the situation as being that the Nerazzurri have not given up on signing Chalobah who is the priority, but that after a meeting with Acerbi’s agent today they are all ready to wrap up a deal for the 34-year-old quickly.

Inter have not yet put pen to paper on a deal to sign Acerbi on loan from Lazio despite the talks between them, the Biancocelesti, and the player’s representatives having accelerated significantly in the last week or so.

The reason for this has been reported to be that the Nerazzurri are still prioritizing other targets, namely Chalobah and Borussia Dortmund’s Manuel Akanji.

However, at the same time the Nerazzurri have been working to make sure that they will be in a position to quickly wrap up a deal for Acerbi in the event that they prove unable to sign Chalobah, and Di Marzio believes that this is the case.

“I believe Acerbi can join Inter,” Di Marzio explained. “I think Inter secured his signing today, they reached an agreement with the player. They’ll make a last-ditch attempt for Chalobah, but I think he wants to go somewhere where he’ll be a regular starter.”

“Otherwise I think he prefers to stay in London,” he continued of the Chelsea defender. “Now Inter have Acerbi in their hands, they have to wait a few days to close on the deal with Lazio. And right now a big investment would be needed for Akanji.”