Inter chief Beppe Marotta hints the Leonardo Spinazzola swap with Roma was axed for financial reasons, while confirming talks with Christian Eriksen, Olivier Giroud and Victor Moses agents.
The Nerazzurri face Lecce at 14.00 GMT, click here for the line-ups and LIVEBLOG.
The week has been dominated by the failed exchange between Spinazzola and Matteo Politano, as Inter pulled the plug after both players had undergone medicals.
Inter chief Beppe Marotta hints the Leonardo Spinazzola swap with Roma was axed for financial reasons, while confirming talks with Christian Eriksen, Olivier Giroud and Victor Moses agents.
The Nerazzurri face Lecce at 14.00 GMT, click here for the line-ups and LIVEBLOG.
The week has been dominated by the failed exchange between Spinazzola and Matteo Politano, as Inter pulled the plug after both players had undergone medicals.
“I think there has been this excessive media attention on the whole situation,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
“Spinazzola is a fine professional who I already worked with at Juventus. I think in football that before being finalised, negotiations must go through valuations on a technical, medical, economic and physical level.
“Once we had completed all those evaluations, the club could not go ahead with this transfer and I told my colleague at Roma that we couldn’t go through with it.
“Don’t forget, Davide Santon failed to find a new club on three occasions because of similar scenarios. When it’s an operation worth €55m, including salaries and emoluments, it’s only right that the club analyses all the valuations carefully.”
Now Politano has returned to Inter, visibly upset, as he had his heart set on returning to hometown club Roma.
“I have to say that Roma releasing photographs of a player undergoing a medical is not up to us. Spinazzola didn’t take any pictures with us…
“We are in a world where these things happen and they will do in future, no doubt, but the valuations are necessary for the buyer in such a big investment.
“With all due respect to Politano, we explained the situation to him. We are professionals and get accustomed to this sort of thing, so we’ll evaluate his future together before the end of the transfer window.”
Marotta was also asked about the on-going negotiations for Christian Eriksen, specifically Tottenham’s irritation that he had dinner with the player’s agent in Milan.
“Eriksen is a Tottenham player, but his contract expires in June, so it’s entirely legitimate and authorised to see his agent in this period.
“That’s a long way off saying he’ll come here in January or June, because there is a great deal of competition and we don’t know what will happen yet.”
Unless Politano is sold, then Inter cannot bring in Olivier Giroud from Chelsea.
“It’s normal that management works to prepare various negotiations so there are alternatives if it doesn’t go through. I won’t deny we spoke to Giroud’s entourage, we will evaluate the situation.
“The two moves could be linked, but what doesn’t happen on the transfer market today could happen tomorrow.”
What of Chelsea-owned Victor Moses, who is currently on loan at Fenerbahce?
“He is a candidate, certainly,” concluded the CEO.