Reigning Serie A champions Inter are readying a player-plush-cash bid for the highly-rated Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi. According to Calciomercato, the Nerazzurri are ready to offer up-and-coming centre-back Lorenzo Pirola as a makeweight in the deal to sign the Neroverdi star in the making.
Pirola is currently on loan at Monza in Serie B, where he has made just four appearances in the first half of the season. A nasty-looking knee injury has kept the 19-year-old on the sidelines over the past couple of months, threatening to bring his underwhelming loan at the Stadio Brianteo to an abrupt end.
Sassuolo are said to be entertaining the idea of landing the prodigious defender, who could cost up to €9m as far as the Neroverdi are concerned. However, Pirola may end up joining the Mapei outfit as part of a deal to take Frattesi to Inter.
The Nerazzurri are in the market for a new midfielder, particularly in light of Stefano Sensi’s likely loan departure in January. Inter and Sampdoria are in talks over the Italian’s temporary switch to Genoa, and Simone Inzaghi is eager to find a quality replacement for the ex-Sassuolo star.
Frattesi has now emerged as Inzaghi’s top candidate to succeed Sensi at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a stellar season at the Mapei Stadium, developing into one of the most exciting midfield talents in Serie A.
He learned his trait at the Roma youth academy before making a senior switch to Sassuolo in 2017. After several loan spells at Ascoli, Empoli and Monza, the Italian has returned to base this season and quickly established himself as a first-team regular under Alessio Dionisi.
Frattesi’s eye-catching showings have caught Inter’s attention, but convincing Sassuolo to green-light the move could be a tricky part. The Neroverdi have pinned a €25m price tag on their sought-after star’s head. If the midfielder stays on the upwards trajectory, the price could go up by the end of the season.
Therefore, Inter are ready to step up their pursuit already in January, though the club’s well-documented financial struggle could throw a spanner in the works. Well aware of Frattesi’s potential, Sassuolo are reluctant to budge on their valuation, making the Lombard giants’ efforts to pull off a deal even more complicated.