Inter face an uphill battle to secure a deal for either of their first two choices at left-back this month, according to Corriere dello Sport.
Marcos Alonso is the Nerazzurri’s priority and the Spaniard was again left out of Frank Lampard’s match-day squad for Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest.
But Chelsea’s demands are too high for Inter at the moment and a return to Serie A for the 29-year-old is therefore unlikely.
Sporting Lisbon’s Marcos Acuna is the club’s next target, but the Portuguese side want a permanent deal worth €20 million in order to sell.
CdS today reported Inter have offered a loan with an option to buy for a fee that could rise to €15 million.
It remains to be seen whether Sporting will be prepared to make any concessions in talks for the 28-year-old, who was part of Argentina’s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.