Barcelona are to rely heavily on the inclusion of players to help them in their bids to sign both Lautaro Martinez and Neymar in the upcoming Summer transfer window according to a report in today’s print edition of Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
Lautaro has a €111 million release clause in his current contract with Inter whilst it has been rumoured that Neymar will cost at least €180 million.
Rather than fork out close to €300 million, the Blaugrana club will try and reduce the players prices by offering players in return.
Ousmane Dembele and Philipe Coutinho are both deemed as expendable assets in this regard whilst Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic could also be offered as part of any deals for the Argentine and Brazilian attackers.
Reports both in the Spanish and Italian media have also suggested the likes of Carles Alena, Arthur and Jean-Clair Todibo could be offered as part of deals for players.
In an interview with FCInterNews.it, Lucas Martinez Quarta’s agent Gustavo Goni has discussed the recent reports which have linked his client with a possible move to Inter.
Reports from a variation of Italian news outlets have stated that Inter are keeping an eye on the River Plate centre back with a view to a potential Summer transfer window swoop.
Inter vice president Javier Zanetti has in fact recently praised Martinez Quarta and Goni started the interview by speaking on what such comments from an Argentine football legend such as Zanetti mean.
“It is a source of pride for me when someone like him publicly praises Lucas but I’m not surprised by his words,” he started. “Pupi had already shown his appreciation for the player on other occasions.”
He was then asked if his client is in possession of a European passport and if he thinks he is ready to make the jump to European football to a club like Inter.
“Does he have a European passport? Yes. He already plays regularly for River Plate and I am convinced that he has everything you need to stand out even on the Old Continent and at any top club, such as the Nerazzurri but of course we have to wait and see what offers will come for him.”
In conclusion he spoke on what price clubs could expect to pay for his client.
“It depends on the offers that will arrive. He is a great player and there are many clubs that are interested in him but so long as there no concrete offers, I do not want to discuss ifs or buts, it would not be correct of me to do so.”
Martinez Quarta has made 20 appearances across all competitions to date this term for River Plate, in which he has contributed a single assist.
In an interview with former Arsenal star Ian Wright’s You Tube channel, Inter striker Romelu Lukaku has discussed how difficult he has found being stuck in quarantine as a result of the ongoing global Coronavirus pandemic.
“I almost had a head loss yesterday. I can’t go outside, I can’t go shopping. I’m locked up,” he said.
“Now it’s been nine days. They got me a bike, all the players live in the city centre, I didn’t have space, so they said in the group chat, ‘who doesn’t have a bike or a treadmill in the house?’ Two hours later they brought everybody a bike.
“I just miss the regular life, being with my Mum, being with my son, being with my brother. I’m thinking about everybody. It’s bad, you can’t have normal contact with human beings. I miss training and playing games in front of fans. Now you start to appreciate what you have.”
Lukaku then went on to open up about his departure from Manchester United this past Summer and revealed that Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted him to remain at the Premier League club.
“A bad season can happen to everyone, but for me it was a fairly difficult situation. I had to make a decision, I had to go to another place where I could learn new aspects of my game and work with someone who wanted me.
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted me to stay, but I told him it was over. He helped me out anyway. Manchester United are still doing a good job and getting good results, I wish them nothing but the best. It would be childish to disrespect Manchester United or any other club I played for in England. ”
In conclusion he revealed that he came close to joining Inter’s rivals Juventus prior to his move to the Nerazzurri and he discussed what swung things in the favour of Inter.
“Juventus were very close to signing me but what made my mind up was that Inter were a team of reference for me in Italy. As a child I used to watch Adriano, Ronaldo and Christian Vieri, who I have an excellent relationship with, play.
“The club and the coach wanted me a lot. Antonio Conte wanted me at Chelsea so for me it was time to go there and see and I only thought training training hard and getting back in shape without talking too much and let me tell you, at Inter they work you hard.”
Since his arrival at the club on a five year contract until the end of the 2023/24 season, the Belgian national team striker has made 35 appearances across all competitions. In just over 2900 minutes on the park, the former Chelsea player has scored 23 goals and provided five assists.
Inter defender Danilo D’Ambrosio has opened up on how it has felt to be in quarantine as a result of the ongoing global Coronavirus pandemic.
Italy is currently in complete lock down with the Italian government desperate to try and contain and prevent the spread of the virus with people urged to stay at home and only leave if absolutely necessary.
D’Ambrosio has admitted that he finds himself in unknown territory in being stuck at home but is enjoying being able to spend extra time with his partner and two young children.
“Staying at home for so long has never happened to me before but I must say that staying with my family is the most beautiful and most exciting thing of all. I am really happy to be with them 24 hours a day,” he told Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia earlier on today.
“The biggest victory would be to win this battle against Covid-19. The doctors work incessantly day and night and I wish to take this opportunity to thank them.”
Whilst the Inter players are in lock down, Inter manager Antonio Conte has been keen to ensure that his players follow some sort of training routine to keep them in shape for when they are able to return to training and start playing again and D’Ambrosio then went on to reveal that Conte is always checking in on the team.
“The coach always messages us to ask us how we are and if we are continuing to respect the training schedule and nutritional plan.”
There is no shortage of players that Inter could potentially bring in on a free transfer in the upcoming Summer transfer window according to a report in today’s print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport.
Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud, Napoli’s Dries Mertens and Tottenham Hotspur’s Jan Vertonghen are some of the biggest names who could be available for nothing in the coming months.
Paris Saint Germain trio Edinson Cavani, Thomas Meunier and Layvin Kurzawa are all expected to be released at the end of their deals but Inter look to have already missed out upon Meunier with a recent report suggesting he has already agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund.
The report also goes on to discuss Inter player’s whose contracts with the club are set to expire at the end of the season. Both Borja Valero and Daniele Padelli will likely be let go whilst Inter will take up the option to extend Ashley Young’s contract by a further season.
Inter chief executive Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Marotta is committed to putting the best team together both on and off the field according to a report from the online edition of Milan based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
Since his arrival at the club at the end of 2018, Marotta has overhauled large aspects of the club as he tries to get Inter back to the top again after a number of very poor years.
Marotta took a strong stance this past Summer by telling Mauro Icardi, Ivan Perisic and Radja Nainggolan, three of the club’s best players, that their services were no longer required and was also key in Antonio Conte coming in as the club’s manager.
Off the field Marotta has also been hard at work making additions to the staff. Marotta firstly brought in Marco Scalvini from Juventus and entrusted him with managing the club’s training facilities.
Marotta also brought in nutritionist Matteo Pincella who is ensuring that the players are eating the right food and is helping to keep them in shape.
The report goes on to add that Marotta is also looking to bring in a sports psychologist who can provide support for everyone at the club.
Inter have no interest in a swap deal with Manchester City that would involve Milan Skriniar and Joao Cancelo according to a report from CalcioMercato.com.
City have what is described as a great and real interest in signing the Slovakian national team defender and were willing to offer Joao Cancelo for him but Inter do not want the Portuguese full back as they value Skriniar far higher than they value Cancelo at.
In order to sign Skriniar, the reigning Premier League champions will need to make a huge offer for him but that is not to say that Inter would even entertain that if they did as the 25-year-old has cemented himself as one of the best defenders in Italy and worldwide in his nearly three years on Inter’s books.
This season Skriniar has made 32 appearances across all competitions in which he has contributed a single assist and helped the Nerazzurri keep nine clean sheets.
Ivan Rakitic looks set to depart Barcelona for Sevilla in the upcoming Summer transfer window according to a report from Spanish news outlet Sport.
The Croatian national team midfielder is set to go into the final year of his contract with the Blaugrana club and for this reason they plan to move him on in the coming months as they have no intention of signing him to a contract extension.
Sevilla have made an enquiry for the 32-year-old who is said to be excited by the prospect of a return to the Andalusian club who he made 149 appearances for between January 2011 and June 2014.
Recent reports both in Spanish and Italian media have linked Rakitic with a possible move to Inter as part of a deal that would see Lautaro Martinez head to Barcelona but this report would seem to suggest that the former Schalke player will be getting nowhere close to Inter.
Arsenal are becoming resigned to the fact that club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not sign a contract extension with the club according to a report from British news outlet The Sun.
The Gabon national team forward’s current deal with the club is due to expire at the end of next season and with him not going to sign a new deal, it can be expected that the Gunners will look to move him on in the upcoming Summer transfer window to avoid losing him for nothing.
They should not have any problems in doing so with several clubs lining up for the former Borussia Dortmund man, who has been on their books since January 2018.
The report quotes Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United as being interested in him whilst reports elsewhere in the media have linked him strongly with Inter, who will seemingly go in for him if Lautaro Martinez departs.
This season Aubameyang has made 32 appearances across all competitions to date. In 2711 minutes on the field, he has scored 20 goals and provided a single assist.
