Inter Milan boss Luciano Spalletti gave the clearest indication yet that Ivan Perisic could leave, saying the Serie A club will listen to serious offers for the winger.
The 28-year-old Croatian international has been strongly linked with a big-money move to Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, while Premier League champions Chelsea are reported to be in for Inter midfielder Antonio Candreva.
-
Transfers – Two alternatives to Liverpool targets Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita
-
Read more – Real Madrid ready sell Karim Benzema while Man City want either Alexis Sanchez or Kylian Mbappe
-
Video – How Manchester United can get the best out of Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba
-
Analysis – Lucas Moura and Kasper Dolberg are two alternative options for Real Madrid
“Sure there are rumours but we want to keep Perisic, he’s a very important player for the team. We are counting on him to start the new season,” Spalletti told media in Singapore, where Inter play a glamour pre-season friendly with Bayern Munich on Thursday.
“But if somebody comes in with a very difficult offer to reject then we will consider that, but of course we need to find a valid alternative for Perisic as well.”
Mourinho and United are on the look-out for a winger to provide the ammunition for Romelu Lukaku, the striker who signed this summer from Everton for a reported £75million.
And on Italian international Candreva, 30, Spalletti also failed to give assurances about his future at Inter, saying: “Nobody has officially made a request for him yet.”
The 58-year-old Spalletti took over at Inter last month, replacing Stefano Pioli after a rollercoaster campaign where Pioli replaced Dutchman Frank de Boer after less than three months in charge.
Provided by AFP Sport