Serie A champions Inter have reportedly joined Lazio in a fiercely contested race to sign Hellas Verona defender Juan Cabal. According to Matteo Moretto, Simone Inzaghi’s men have already held exploratory talks with the Gialloblu to understand the potential terms.
After Tajon Buchanan picked up a long-term injury at the 2024 Copa America, Inter have returned to the market for a new defender. Ricardo Rodriguez, who left Torino at the end of last season, has emerged as a potential low-cost solution to address the lack of numbers at the back.
Rodriguez is a free agent and could be a decent short-term option for Inter. The veteran is an established Serie A star and fits Beppe Marotta’s modus operandi. However, Cabal has leapfrogged the Switzerland international on the club’s shortlist.
At 23, Cabal continues to make a name for himself in Serie A. Verona signed him from Atletico Nacional in 2022. He has since made 33 league appearances for the Marc’Antonio Bentegodi outfit, becoming one of the hottest young prospects in the Italian top flight.
Joining Inter would be a quantum leap for the Colombian defender. But Lazio have a significant head start over the Nerazzurri as they agreed on personal terms with the player a week ago. Cabal was supposed to reunite with manager Marco Baroni at the Stadio Olimpico as part of a double swoop involving Tijjani Noslin.
But Verona’s €10m valuation has put Lazio off. Inter could take advantage of the standstill in talks between Verona and the Biancocelesti to lure Cabal to Giuseppe Meazza.
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