Inter are pondering whether or not to stick with Samir Handanovic past the current season and, while a lot will hinge on what will happen at the ownership level, the directors have begun looking at possible replacements, Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
The captain has amassed 371 appearances with the club, which puts him third all-time: he is set to surpass Ivano Bordon during the ongoing campaign, while Walter Zenga is uncatchable. He has two years left on his contract and everything has been quiet on the extension front so far.
Since the goalkeeper is getting up there in age, he is 36, and his performances in the past 18 months have been more uneven than in the past, the front office are mulling whether it would be better to make a switch in such a pivotal role in the summer and the way Handanovic finishes the campaign will be a deciding factor.
Juan Musso has for long been considered the frontrunner to succeed Handanovic given his combination of talent and experience. The Nerazzurri also covet Rodrigo De Paul, so they could try to orchestrate a double deal with Udinese. Other Serie A goalkeepers made the list of potential candidates, such as Cagliari’s Alessio Cragno, Hellas Verona’s Marco Silvestri and Napoli’s Alex Meret, while back-up Andrei Radu is considered too raw.
In any case, the outlets adds that no negotiation has been started and that the brass will have to make a call on Handanovic before moving to the next stage of the process.