Inter Sporting Director Meets Chelsea Representatives to Discuss Potential Transfers
According to reports from Calciomercato, Piero Ausilio, Inter’s sporting director, traveled to London for a face-to-face meeting with Chelsea representatives to explore potential transfer deals for the upcoming summer window.
The Italian outlet suggests that there are several possibilities on the table for both clubs, including potential player exchanges between Stamford Bridge and San Siro.
The first item on the agenda, as stated by Calciomercato, is likely to be the situation concerning loanee Romelu Lukaku. Despite a slow start, Lukaku delivered crucial performances for Inter towards the end of the season. Reports indicate that the player himself expressed his desire to continue in Milan next season. However, negotiations may not be straightforward due to Lukaku still having three years remaining on his current Chelsea contract.
Chelsea will also aim to avoid a significant financial loss on their initial investment, as they signed Lukaku from Inter for a club-record fee of €113m.
Another player of interest for Inter is former Napoli center-back Kalidou Koulibaly. It is believed that Simone Inzaghi, Inter’s manager, is keen to secure an experienced central defender to fill the void left by Milan Skriniar’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain. If Koulibaly is not attainable, Inter may consider a loan deal for 23-year-old Trevoh Chalobah, who is a close friend of Lukaku, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
#Calciomercato #Inter, fissato un incontro col #Chelsea: da #Koulibaly a #Lukaku, il punto [@francGuerrieri] https://t.co/r2uaB8QyQu
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) June 14, 2023
In addition, there have been rumors, albeit less likely, suggesting a potential deal for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has been linked with a move to rival club Milan recently.
Inter, who will part ways with Gagliardini when his contract expires this summer, is also said to be interested in strengthening their midfield for the 2023-24 season.
Conversely, goalkeeper Andre Onana could be a potential candidate to join Chelsea. The Cameroonian, who joined Inter on a free transfer from Ajax last summer, may generate substantial profit if Chelsea decides to make a formal offer. Chelsea’s goalkeeping situation is uncertain, with Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga’s long-term futures being unclear.
Although La Gazzetta dello Sport mentioned Denzel Dumfries, it appears that Chelsea’s focus this summer will not be on wing-back positions, considering the presence of England international Reece James and the recent arrival of Malo Gusto from Lyon.
