Inter Calciomercato Thread

[Morrison]

Internazionale have been linked with three top players in their search for new wide men for next season.

Cagliari's Mauro Esposito, Arsenal's Robert Pires and Real Madrid superstar Luis Figo have all been linked with the Italian giants.

Roberto Mancini has been forced to play certain players out of position this campaign, a problem which he hopes to resolve before the start of next season.

Esposito would be the likely target for Mancini - despite recently stating his desire to stay with Cagliari - as Inter would struggle to match the salary or fee that would be asked for by Pires and Figo.

[Morrison]

Internazionale defender Jose Ze Maria has confirmed that he will be staying at the club amid speculation that he will leave the Italian giants.

The 31-year-old has a contract with Inter until 2006 but it has been suggested that he may be sold in the summer.

The Brazilian signed from Perugia in 2004 and has made 17 starts this season for Roberto Manchini's men this season.

"I have another year's contract with Inter," stressed Ze Maria.

"I hope to stay next season too, then I'll talk with the club to know their intentions.

"It's clear I wish to stay here as much as possible.

"I made a big effort to arrive here and I don't want to leave only after two season's," he added.

[hanuma]

figo and pires....over the hill.

[Morrison]

Inter Milan are said to be closing in on Lecce striker Mirko Vucinic.

The Serbian has impressed Inter chief Massimo Moratti who is now ready to bring him to San Siro.

Vucinic is the latest striker to be linked with a move to the Nerazzurri, following an exceptional season by the young forward thanks to 12 goals in 23 matches played.

The 22-year-old player will most likely be brought in to replace one between Recoba, Vieri and Cruz, whose contract expire in 2006.

[hanuma]

he is a good player, but not necessary.

[Jager]

Good utility player, I hope he sticks another year.

[Jager]

All filler at the moment, not the club's top priority at the moment.

The young Bulgarian Fiorentina have is another story.

[hanuma]

oh comeon the wont sell him unless they go down.

[Morrison]

The Nerazzurri are ready to challenge local rivals Milan for the signature of Italian international Alberto Gilardino.

Regardless of whether or not Parma manage to avoid relegation, their star striker is expected to leave the club at the end of this season and he is not short of options.

Real Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus and Valencia have all been linked, though many newspapers suggest that a deal with Milan has already been struck.

Nonetheless, Inter are prepared to intervene with a large cash sum – plus the offer of players such as Giorgos Karagounis, Emre Belozoglu and Carlos Gamarra – to tempt him into the other side of the San Siro.

Patron Massimo Moratti agreed a budget of £21.6m in order to reinforce the squad during this week’s shareholders’ meeting and the first objective is to buy out all of Juan Sebastian Veron’s contract from Chelsea.

With the likely departure of Christian Vieri and Alvaro Recoba, new forwards are needed and Gilardino has already replaced the centre-forward in the Italy line-up.

Should they fail to capture the Parma star, then Inter’s next preference would be Marco Di Vaio, who has struggled to settle in at Valencia and was already close to joining Roberto Mancini during his Lazio years.

Reinforcements are also required in defence, with Roma’s Cristian Chivu – also a target for Milan and Juve – and Bianconeri star Gianluca Zambrotta earmarked.

[hanuma]

not going to happen.

[Jager]

Originally posted by hanuma
oh comeon the wont sell him unless they go down.

I wouldn't go that far, as I stated...we are not looking for strikers.

Enough said.

[Jager]

...it makes absolutely no sense at all.

[Morrison]

Inter are in pole position to end Stefano Fiore’s Valencia nightmare at the end of this season.

The midfielder left Lazio for the Spanish outfit last summer but has failed to settle with the reigning Liga champions.

Juventus were associated with a transfer but they’ve pulled out, leaving the Nerazzurri in a great situation to land the international.

Fiore is eager for a return to Italy and did recently state that he would like to link up with Roberto Mancini, his former boss at Lazio, again.

"I would like to work under Mancini once more," he stated a few months ago. "I’ve always played well with him and he has faith in me. That always helps."

A summer exit now looks almost certain and the player’s agent is trying to get negotiations underway.

"We are hopeful," stated Federico Pastorello. "After all, Fiore is a player who Mancini does like.

"Valencia are also aware that his Spanish experience is destined to end. I think we can find a solution that will satisfy all parties."

Inter will need some new midfielders given that Emre and Edgar Davids are just two heading for the San Siro exit.

[Jager]

Might be a good backup, if we can't land Veron. I admire Fiore a lot, he brings more weopons to are arsenal.

[Morrison]

Tottenham are reportedly lining up a £13m bid for the Nigerian Nerazzurri starlet Obafemi Martins, as Inter prepare to face Brescia.

The young striker is considered to be one of the main building blocks for the future of Inter, as Coach Roberto Mancini has mentioned several times that his ideal partnership for the club is Adriano-Martins.

Spurs believe that he would be ideally suited to the Premiership with his remarkable power and pace already making waves in the Champions’ League.

A move is highly unlikely, although the Italian newspapers do point out that Inter have been tracking several strikers with similar characteristics – notably Atalanta’s Stephen Makinwa and Lecce hitman Mirko Vucinic.

Martins is expected to partner Christian Vieri in this afternoon’s encounter with Brescia and Mancini looked at the motivation of a team that is all but certain of sealing third place.

“I ask my team to get the maximum points from this match,” said the Coach. “I don’t want to have the pressure of getting a result in the last two or three games of the season. Adriano has trained all week and will definitely play in order to regain match fitness.”

Cristiano Zanetti, Edgar Davids, Alvaro Recoba, Ze Maria and Andy van der Meyde are all out of action for the trip to the Stadio Rigamonti.