Napoli’s stuttering start to the summer could suffer another blow as Inter look to hijack their pursuit of ex-Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso. According to Spanish outlet AS, via FCInterNews, the reigning Serie A champions have accelerated their effort to sign the Spaniard on a free transfer.
Similarly to Alessandro Buongiorno’s case, Napoli must fend off Inter to strengthen Antonio Conte’s backline. Simone Inzaghi’s men could disrupt the Partenopei’s plan to sign two top-class defenders this summer.
After messing with Buongiorno’s head when he was on the verge of joining Napoli, Inter are keen to poach Hermoso right under Conte’s nose. Talks between the parties are underway, with the Nerazzurri looking to close the deal in a blitz.
Inter’s renewed interest in Hermoso comes after Tajon Buchanan suffered a broken tibia at the 2024 Copa America with Canada. With the ex-Club Brugge man set to stay on the sidelines for six months, the Giuseppe Meazza outfit have rekindled their pursuit of another Napoli target.
Hermoso left Atletico Madrid after five years at the end of last season. During his impressive stint in the Spanish capital, the 29-year-old established himself as a world-class center-back in Diego Simeone’s three-man defense.
Since Conte plans to deploy the same system at Napoli, the former Espanyol star fits the bill perfectly. But Inter look determined to spoil their ex-manager’s dreams. If there’s a man capable of pulling off high-profile free transfers, it’s Beppe Marotta.
Napoli found themselves on the receiving end of Marotta’s negotiating prowess as he denied them the services of Piotr Zielinski earlier this summer.
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