NAPLES, ITALY - MARCH 23: Mateo Retegui of Italy in action during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying round group C match between Italy and England at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 23, 2023 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images )

Inter Frontrunners to Land New Italy Center-Forward

Inter were one of the first teams to lay eyes on Mateo Retegui well before Roberto Mancini called him up. They are in the lead to sign him next summer. However, the competition is growing by the day. They’ll have to capitalize on their advantage soon to avoid surprises, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.

The Nerazzurri have to negotiate exclusively with Tigre, which will soon buy 50 percent of his card from Boca Juniors with €2.1M. The Xeneizes will receive half of the fee from the sale, but they don’t have a say in the destination.

Inter have established a rapport with the Argentinian club and more importantly with Carlos Retegui, the father of agent of the striker. Their deputy sporting director Dario Baccin met him twice in Naples and Malta during the recent international break. They have an edge over Milan, Napoli, Lazio, Atletico Madrid, West Ham, and Eintracht Frankfurt, which have all expressed interest as well.

If they pulled the trigger shortly, La Beneamata would acquire the Azzurri newcomer for €18M. Facundo Colidio might serve as a partial makeweight, but that’s not a pivotal detail. They are in the same spot they were with Lautaro Martinez in February 2018. They managed to complete the deal despite a late move by Borussia Dortmund that year. The Nerazzurri have not taken the final step because they are uncertain of their budget for next summer. Although, they believe he’d be a sound investment under any circumstances.

Our Take on Inter and Retegui

If they have truly done this much legwork already, they should definitely act on it since their attack has so many moving parts. At worst, he’ll be an energetic and cheaper backup to replace Joaquin Correa.

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