Samir Handanovic could ink a new contract and stay at Inter even though the club has already signed André Onana. The management and the player are closer to coming to terms than in previous months, when their respective stances had stiffened up, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
The veteran goalkeeper addressed his future after the Juventus game: “I think I will re-up, and I hope so too. However, it takes two to put together an extension.” He will turn 38 in July, but the front office is more open to retaining him than in the recent past.
According to the publication, Inter and Handanovic could strike a deal on a two-year contract, reducing his €3.2M salary. The Ajax newcomer has offered uneven performance since returning from his suspension. Keeping the captain would spare the team the trouble of finding a reliable backup in the summer.
If the parties reached an agreement as rumored, the Slovenian shot-stopper would not be a lock to cede the starting job right away. He would mostly serve as an insurance policy, but Onana would have to show well to unseat him. The Cameroonian international will take over eventually as he is getting rich wages, but it might not happen from the get-go.
Handanovic is already the goalkeeper with the most Serie A appearances (359) in the history of Inter. He broke the club’s records for longest streak of clean sheets and most penalty kicks saved in recent campaigns. He has played 443 matches since joining from Udinese in 2012.