Inter are reportedly assessing the prospect of tying Samir Handanovic down to a new short-term contract at the end of the season. However, the Nerazzurri are only willing to keep their captain as a backup option for the incoming Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Handanovic’s current deal at the Giuseppe Meazza runs out in summer 2022. The reigning Italian champions are ready to offer the 37-year-old a contract extension that would require the Slovenian to cut his current wages by half. Per Gazzetta dello Sport (via SempreInter), Inter are preparing a €3.2m-a-year salary package to hold onto the experienced shot-stopper beyond next summer.
Onana is reportedly on the verge of joining Inter on a long-term contract as he has decided to cut ties with Ajax. The 25-year-old keeper has less than six months left to run on his current deal at the Johan Cruyff Arena, but the Nerazzurri are keen to bring him to Serie A already in January. According to recent reports, the Italians will step up their pursuit of the Cameroon international in the coming weeks.
Onana’s potential arrival would restrict Handanovic’s playing time, but Inter are still unwilling to get rid of their long-serving stalwart. The club would like to keep a veteran keeper as Onana’s deputy. The Slovenian has spent the last nine years at the Giuseppe Meazza, growing into one of the most influential figures in the club.
Since joining from Udinese in 2012, Handanovic has racked up over 410 appearances for Inter. But it remains to be seen whether he’d accept the prospect of playing second fiddle to the new keeper and all that for half of his current wages.