Serie A giants eye Premier League stars after lucrative takeover.
Check in to Torino vs Inter Milan
Inter Milan are set to launch a sensational raid for three big names of Premier League football this January following the confirmation of their lucrative takeover by Indonesian billionaire Erick Thohir, CaughtOffside can reveal.
The Italian giants have not enjoyed the best of fortunes in recent times since the immensely successful Jose Mourinho left the club in 2010, but will look to put themselves back as a serious force in European football as they eye up some big-money moves with the backing of their new majority shareholder.
Although Inter will no doubt have their eye on much of the best talent from around the continent, they have identified three players from the Premier League as being high on their list of priorities this January.
The players in question are Liverpool defender Daniel Agger, Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa and Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, which would signal significant improvements in the three main areas of their squad.
With ageing pair Christian Chivu and Walter Samuel heading into the final year of their contracts, Inter manager Walter Mazzarri is keen to bring in fresh blood in central defence, and is keen on luring Agger away from Anfield.
The Danish international has been a key player for the Reds over the last few years, and his fine displays have also seen him attract attention from the likes of Barcelona in the past, though Inter will now hope a bid of around £18m could be enough to bring him to the San Siro.
Further up the pitch, Inter are keen to capitalise on Shinji Kagawa’s uncertain situation at Manchester United. The Japanese playmaker is looking likely to leave the club this January after continuing to be overlooked by manager David Moyes, who in turn is also plotting bids for several possible replacements in that position.
It is understood that Kagawa’s preferred choice of club is his old side Borussia Dortmund, who are also keen on re-signing him, though Inter may be able to outbid the Bundesliga giants and could go as high as £23m for the talented 24-year-old, who Mazzarri feels could be a hit if given a chance in to play regularly in Serie A.
Most ambitiously perhaps, Inter will also table a bid of around £29m for Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian has often struggled for consistency since moving to the Premier League after initially impressing with some prolific form in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg, and although City have been keen to continue giving him a chance even with the signings of Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo upfront this summer, they may feel they could part company with Dzeko if the right offer comes along.
Dzeko had been linked with the likes of Juventus and Fiorentina during the summer, and it is thought that the slower pace of the game in Italy may be better suited to his playing style than the Premier League.
Other big names such as Angel Di Maria, Arda Turan, Jackson Martinez and Kurt Zouma are also believed to be among Inter’s targets this January, and there’s no doubt that some of the most exciting business in the next transfer window could be completed by the now mega-rich Italian side.