Lazio’s Joaquin Correa is Inter’s first-choice target as the club look to sign one more attacker this summer.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who report that the Argentine is preferred to Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata as the second major attacking arrival following Edin Dzeko.
Correa is the top target for head coach Simone Inzaghi, who prefers to link up with the player with whom he worked successfully for three years at Lazio, and the Nerazzurri are hard at work on persuading the Biancocelesti to deal for the player.
Relations between Inter and Lazio are not excellent, but the Biacocelesti know that they have to complete the sale of a major player like Correa before they are allowed to register new signings for official competitions.
Accordingly, the capital club could feel that their hand is forced in negotiations and would be amenable to a deal with the Nerazzurri should a reasonable offer arrive.
The stated asking price of Lazio for Correa is €40 million, but Inter would not be interested in negotiating close to this price, while the Biancocelesti are thought to need around €30 million incoming from the sale and the fee could be closer to this number.
Zapata, meanwhile, would not leave Atalanta until a replacement is found by the Bergamo-based club, something which they are in the process of finding.
Even if he is allowed to leave his current club, the Colombian is no longer a top target for Inter, though he is still being tracked by the club and could yet arrive before the end of the transfer window.
Lastly, Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic is liked by the Nerazzurri but will not be brought in this summer as he is outside of the the club’s budget.