Inter could make a bid to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio before the transfer window ends, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Nerazzurri must complete two substantial sales before they can step up their interest in the Serbian midfielder, which could be those concerning Joao Mario and Mauro Icardi.
Claudio Lotito is unlikely to offer the same resistance for his star player as he did last summer, when the Lazio owner requested €150 million, but it is not a simple deal to pull off.
Milinkovic-Savic scored seven goals in all competitions for Simone Inzaghi’s side last season, including one in the Coppa Italia final against Atalanta.
The midfielder’s agent Mateja Kezman has held talks with Juventus and Manchester United this summer, but so far his client has not moved from the capital.
Lazio began negotiations with United for a deal worth €75 million, with bonuses seeing the fee rise to €90 million, which is a fee Inter could afford if they sold Icardi.
Inter remain interested in swapping Icardi with Paulo Dybala, with Gazzetta assuring that possibility could not be discounted so long as La Joya was up for sale.
Should Juventus sign Maurito in a cash-only deal, though, the Nerazzurri would recoup a sizable amount of money to reinvest in Milinkovic-Savic.
Lazio would need time to sign a replacement for the 24-year-old, meaning Inter need to get a move on if they are to stand a realistic chance.
However, the fact they need to sell players first is going to make that difficult.