The storm is still going on. The climate at Inter shows no sign of calming down even after returning to Italy from the American tour, indeed if possible the clouds are becoming even more threatening. "My future? Better to shut up…” Roberto Mancini glossed over at Malpensa, a sibylline statement that suggests that the tension with the new ownership is always skyrocketing. The meetings in the USA did not serve to clarify the respective points of view, which is why relations remain tense and this, less than 3 weeks before the start of the championship, is not good news at all.
But the Nerazzurri catchphrases are not limited to Mancini alone. In fact, the biggest case concerns Mauro Icardi, now the declared goal of post-Higuain Napoli. De Laurentiis made a record offer of 70 million (or, alternatively, 50 plus Gabbiadini), a very high figure that could undermine Inter's resistance. In fact, Thohir had made it clear that the Argentine, considered non-transferable by Ausilio and Mancini, actually had a price and Napoli, making no mistake, even went so far as to increase it.
In short, the soap opera continues and Icardi's silence in front of the Malpensa microphones helps to fuel it. Also because Inter is moving in directions that would be difficult to reconcile with the Argentine's permanence. Beyond the Candreva speech (the agreement with Lotito is in the pipeline, the winger could arrive today for 22 million plus 3 in bonuses) the Nerazzurri have polled with Chelsea for Oscar (Conte has not closed the doors but 35 million are needed) and Santos for Gabigol (but also watch out for Juventus and Barcelona), quality but very expensive players, who can only be financed with an excellent transfer.
Inter's hot Monday ended with the words of Tonci Martic, Perisic's agent. “In general I think he will stay in Milan but in football you never know what will happen – he explained. – However, we will soon talk to the club about the renewal of the contract”. The message is clear: if Icardi gets the salary increase then the Croatian too will aim for the same, which is why Inter must resolve the matter as soon as possible, in one sense or another.
Interlocutory start of the week instead for the other big homegrown players, starting with Juventus. While waiting to define the transfer of Pogba to Manchester United, Marotta and Paratici are probing various midfielders to replace him. Of the many names that come up (Matic, Witsel, Sissoko, Matuidi) the most "reachable" would seem to be the Belgian from Zenit and the French from PSG, one because he is determined to change the scene (the Russians are asking for 25 million, Juve does not want to go over 18), the other because he was assisted by Mino Raiola, great director of the Pogba affair.
In any case, the bianconeri are in no hurry and will wait for the right moment to give Allegri the last (or last?) piece of the squad. Time, on the other hand, is Milan's great enemy, now resigned to a market far from the spotlights of the top players. Realizing that no help will come from the Chinese (the preliminary agreement is still a long way off, provided that it is done), Galliani has only one way to finance the Rossoneri purchases: to sell one of Bacca and De Sciglio.
The sale of Menez (official, he has signed a three-year contract with Bordeaux) has not brought in a single euro, apart from the savings from his salary, so if you want to buy Musacchio, Sosa or Cuadrado (Zielinski in the meantime has almost Naples) we will have to do more, much more. He deserves to find himself living yet another season on the edge of the top ranking.
