According to Il Corriere dello Sport, Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is among Inter’s options if they fail to reach an agreement with Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku.
The Nerazzurri hope to bring the Belgian forward to the Stadio Meazza for the third time, but Chelsea want a permanent €45m transfer which Inter can only afford once André Onana joins Manchester United.
However, the Nerazzurri seem willing to make a loan offer with an obligation to buy, a formula that doesn’t suit the Blues.
Sunday’s printed edition of Il Corriere dello Sport (page 5) claims Inter have already identified a few alternatives to Lukaku.
One of them is Arsenal and USMNT forward Balogun, who has scored 21 goals in 35 appearances while on loan at Reims in 2022-23 and is reportedly valued at €40m by the Gunners.
Mehdi Taremi, Alvaro Morata and Gianluca Scamacca are also being monitored by the Nerazzurri, so there could be a new Milan derby in the market, given that all three strikers have also been targeted by their city rivals Milan.
Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata is another option for Inter, but his injury issues over the last few years make him a less credible candidate for the Benamata.