As reported earlier this week, Inter have turned their attention to Genoa goalkeeper Josep Martinez after a track leading to Athletico Paranaense’s Bento went cold. Per Calciomercato, the new Serie A champions have made new contacts with the Griffins to understand the deal’s feasibility.
Bento’s €20 million price tag has blown Inter out of the water. Since they were quoted an identical figure when first surveyed Genoa for Martinez, Udinese’s Maduka Okoye has emerged as another potential target. But Simone Inzaghi’s men are seemingly keen on the ex-RB Leipzig man.
The latest round of talks served as an attempt to drive the price down as Inter want Martinez to be Yann Sommer’s successor after next season. The idea is to bring the Spaniard to play second fiddle to the Scudetto-winning stopper for a year before assuming a regular place in goal.
Genoa are open to selling their star goalkeeper. Yet, they’re unwilling to budge on their valuation. It means Inter will have to allocate a substantial portion of their summer budget to get a deal over the line. Much will depend on Oaktree’s preparedness to invest in the market.
The new Inter owners have vowed to help the club stay on the upward trajectory after taking over the reins from Steven Zhang. In any case, the Nerazzurri will sign a new backup keeper this summer following their decision not to take up a buyout clause in Emil Audero’s loan deal.
He returned to his parent club, Sampdoria, at the start of June after failing to convince Inter to keep him permanently.
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