After surrendering their Serie A crown to fierce rivals Milan last season, Inter are keen to close the gap in the upcoming transfer window. Head coach Simone Inzaghi is eager to strengthen his backline, with several household domestic stars finding their place in his notebook.
In-demand Torino defender Gleison Bremer tops Inzaghi’s wishlist. The club has already laid the foundation for the centre-back’s switch to Giuseppe Meazza. Talks between the sides are ongoing, with optimism growing in the Nerazzurri camp.
Yet, the Brazilian may not be the only defender to join Inter in the coming months. In addition to the incomings, last season’s Serie A runners-up are working on tying several of their own sought-after performers down to new deals.
Alessandro Bastoni and Milan Skriniar have generated a host of high-profile enquiries from abroad. While Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur have laid their eyes on Skriniar, Manchester City and Manchester United are said to be keeping close tabs on Bastoni.
While Inter would like to keep hold of both players, it could prove unattainable given the club’s well-documented financial turmoil. There is a feeling that one between Bastoni and Skriniar may fall victim to the club’s desperate need for cash.
Since one of them is likely to hit the exit door, Inter could find themselves strapped at the back. As per Calciomercato, Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic and Juventus’ Merih Demiral have emerged as potential candidates to fill the vacancy.
Who would be a better suit for Inter?
Milenkovic has gone from strength to strength at Fiorentina since moving to Italy from Partizan Belgrade in 2017. The 24-year-old has been a defensive mainstay at Artemio Franchi, earning a reputation as one of Serie A’s most reliable centre-backs.
Then it comes as no surprise that several elite foreign clubs have been hot on his tail for a while now. Given an intense interest in Milenkovic’s services from the Premier League, Fiorentina would likely demand a substantial figure to sanction his departure.
On the other hand, Demiral excelled during his season-long loan at Atalanta last term. After enduring a troublesome spell at Juventus, he found his feet in Bergamo. Yet, his future remains up in the air.
Atalanta have yet to take up the option to turn Demiral’s move permanent, paving the way for Inter to swoop in and steal him away. The Turkey international would be a much cheaper option, though he has yet to reach Milenkovic’s level.
Therefore, the Serb would be a better option for Inter, even though it will likely require a sizeable financial sacrifice to take him away from Fiorentina.