Serie A giants Inter Milan are planning to make a late raid to secure the services of Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier this summer. The Ivory Coast international is said to have already finalised personal terms with Manchester United (ParisUnited) but the Nerazzurri still remain hopeful of hijacking the move.
According to Calciomercato h/t Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio has travelled to France to finalise a deal for Nice left-back Dalbert. The Nerazzurri chief will therein seek to open negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain to enquire whether the right-back would prefer a move to San Siro over Old Trafford.
Aurier had assaulted a police officer outside a nightclub in Paris last year, and this had seen him denied a work permit during Les Parisiens’ trip to Arsenal in the Champions League. The Ivorian is expected to have a hearing on the case on August 7, and the outcome will decide whether he is allowed to ply his trade in the United Kingdom.
The Ivory Coast international has a good friendship with United midfielder Paul Pogba, and the Frenchman could prove influential to a proposed transfer after having played the convincing role in Romelu Lukaku’s switch to Old Trafford earlier last month. Apart from Lukaku, the Red Devils have recruited the likes of Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof to their ranks, and Aurier could be seen as an ideal long-term replacement for Antonio Valencia.
Meanwhile, the Nerazzurri are looking to bolster their backline which let them down on plenty of occasions last season. Luciano Spalletti’s side have watched rivals AC Milan bring in 10 players for just over £160m this summer, and they are under pressure to rectify their defensive frailties ahead of an important campaign by their standards.
UEFA has confirmed the additional spot for the Champions League starting from the 2018/19 season, and Inter Milan will have the minimum ambition of attaining a top-four finish, although it will be tough amid competition from the likes of Juventus, AS Roma, Napoli, Lazio and Milan themselves.
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