Inter have decided that Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is their first-choice target to come in and bolster Simone Inzaghi’s options in attack according to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, moving away from the idea of bringing Alvaro Morata in from Atletico Madrid.
The Nerazzurri had originally been working on a deal to bring Romelu Lukaku back to San Siro on a permanent basis, but relations broke down in spectacular fashion midway through July.
Inter then moved on and had previously been linked with a move to sign former Juventus forward Morata from Atletico. It was believed that the Spaniard had been Inzaghi’s first choice after Lukaku.
However, according to Gazzetta, the amount of money it will take to take Morata away from Atleti is considered to be too much for a player of his age. It would reportedly take somewhere in the region of €21m to secure Morata’s services, plus around €9m per season in salary and bonuses.
Inter also want to bring in a player who has a strong desire to play for them, as was the case with Davide Frattesi and Marcus Thuram. With Morata, La Gazzetta claims there wasn’t quite the same passion.
Instead, Balogun is now the first-choice. However, the price tag set by Arsenal could be slightly problematic at the moment.
The Gunners would like around €40m for Balogun, who hit 21 goals in 37 appearances in Ligue 1 last campaign.
La Gazzetta underline the fact that Inter would not be willing to match that price, but there is a belief that the fee could come down before the end of the summer.
Failing Balogun, Udinese’s Beto has also been mentioned as a potential alternative.