Inter Milan star Achraf Hakimi is on the verge of joining Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain despite Alejandro Camano’s efforts to play down such a prospect. Les Parisians boss Mauricio Pochettino has earmarked a sizeable budget to land the former Real Madrid wing-back following an underwhelming debut half-season at the Parc des Princes.
Hakimi has gone from strength to strength since swapping the Santiago Bernabeu for the Giuseppe Meazza last summer on the back of an exceptional two-year loan at Borussia Dortmund.
The 22-year-old’s maiden Serie A season saw him finish as the most prolific defender in Europe’s top-five divisions, with seven goals and ten assists under his belt. Hakimi’s blistering showings under Antonio Conte have attracted interest from several top clubs, including Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
But PSG have acted swiftly to outmaneuver the competition as Poch hopes to assemble a squad capable of regaining the status as a supreme force in Ligue 1 and mount pressure on the Champions League title next season.
Talks between the sides are in the advanced stage. Inter would like to keep hold of their best players. But faced with financial turmoil, the newly-crowned Serie A champions will have to raise funds from player sales.
Desperate to prevent the departure of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, the Nerazzurri are ready to sacrifice the lightning-quick wing-back.
Multiple sources in Italy quoted Hakimi’s entourage Alejandro Camano as saying his client is happy at Inter and has no intention of leaving whatsoever.
“He is the best player in Europe in his position. That’s why there are so many rumors about him.
“Hakimi has four years left in his contract with Inter, and I want to clarify I haven’t talked to any other club.
“We are serene. Hakimi has joined his national team and has a long-term deal with Inter.
“I want to thank all the Inter fans who send him messages these days.“
However, it’s worth noting that Camano rushed to deny claims linking his client with a move to Inter last summer, only a couple of weeks before the Moroccan penned a five-year deal in Lombardy.
Meanwhile, as reported by Calcimercato, the Nerazzurri have already identified a long-term replacement for Hakimi in the shape of Lens right-back Jonathan Clauss. Per the same source, negotiations between the parties are well underway.
The 28-year-old’s contract at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis is due to expire at the end of next season, with Lens reportedly looking to earn around €5-10m from the Frenchman’s sale.
Clauss is not the only option Inter CEO Beppe Marotta has in mind. Barcelona outcast Emerson Royal, Roma’s Alessandro Florenzi, and Chelsea misfit Davide Zappacosta are other potential candidates to replace Hakimi.
All three players enjoyed decent seasons on loan. Emerson impressed at Betis, while Florenzi performed well for PSG. Zappacosta was the only player to spend 2020/21 in Serie A, having enjoyed a solid campaign at Genoa.