Mario for Lampard?
Jose Mourinho’s Inter transfer campaign kicks off with Deco and Frank Lampard pushing Adriano and Mario Balotelli towards Chelsea.
The new Coach has not yet made public proclamations on his targets for the summer, but the newspapers in Italy and around Europe are certain of at least two names – Lampard and Deco.
Lampard has also been linked with another ex-Chelsea boss at Claudio Ranieri’s Juventus, but Inter have the upper hand.
This is because the Nerazzurri are ready to offer either Adriano or Balotelli as part of the transfer.
Adriano is due to return from his loan spell at Sao Paolo, having rediscovered his form and a place in the Brazil squad, but is not said to be part of Mourinho’s plans.
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, they will look to Chelsea to take on Adriano’s hefty £4.4m per season wages.
Another alternative is teenage wunderkind Balotelli, who exploded on to the scene over the final few months of the Scudetto race.
The striker, who only turns 18 in August, has been sending out repeated warnings he is by no means certain to stay with the club.
“I don’t feel like an Inter player inside,” he was quoted as saying in the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I don’t feel like a player who belongs in a mid-table side, either.”
Chelsea have already shown an interest in the Italian talent of Ghanaian extraction and the upcoming contract negotiations with Inter are bound to be affected by this.
Other players expected to leave the Beneamata in the wake of Roberto Mancini’s sacking are Cesar Aparecido, Maniche, Santiago Solari, Nicolas Burdisso, Olivier Dacourt and David Suazo.
It is reported in today’s media that Barcelona have already agreed to sell Deco to the Nerazzurri, where he’ll reunite with his former Porto boss.
However, The Mail on Sunday insists that Deco will be re-routed to Chelsea instead, where he’ll replace the Inter-bound Lampard.
Deals are also in the offing to bring Abdoullay Konko from Genoa in a co-ownership deal worth over £2m in partial exchange for the loan of Nelson Rivas. (C4)
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