Inter CEO Beppe Marotta says there is a good chance that the club will sign Benjamin Pavard before the transfer window closes. The Nerazzurri director was speaking with Radio TV and answered a series of questions, primarily on the clubs transfer dealings, focusing on the new additions to the team. Marotta confirmed that Pavard is a target for the club, but also suggested they may sign free-agent and former forward Alexis Sanchez this summer:
“Announce Pavard today? No, not today. But we are in good shape. We have shot very high in this requirement, we are very ambitious. It is not an illusion. We are often told that we want to delude people, it is not not at all like that. We aim high with our goals. We want strong people. We want a mix of young and old. With young people alone you don’t win anything, you need balance”
“We have to do player trading. It’s now a characteristic, no longer an extraordinary thing. In Italy, no one can invest €200 million without giving up a player, it’s impossible”
“The squad? I think it’s a competitive Inter. Then there are also the opponents obviously, they’re always the same candidate teams. Stronger teams? I don’t know, I’m saying that we start on an equal footing with the leading group”
“What worried me this summer? Lukaku, Samardzic, Scamacca? Seriousness and respect for roles have faded a little. Today players who say yes, tomorrow they say no. But at my age nothing surprises me…”
“Lukaku? Surely in a world where what is yes today becomes no tomorrow there are goals that you imagined you would achieve and then you don’t achieve. And in the meantime you lose other players (reference to Dzeko ed). Lukaku has left a lot disappointment, I’ll just say this. Where will he go? Now the roads are starting to close. In Italy? I think not, there are 10 days left now”
“Sanchez ? Yes yes he fits. When a player doesn’t play on Sunday, on Monday he comes to ask for the transfer. This happens with the open market. Did it happen with Correa now? Correa wants space, we aren’t indifferent to this. We will try to please him if he wants to leave. He is pleased that Sanchez wants to return. Sanchez is truly a champion, he has great passion for his work. He left reluctantly and now he has signaled his desire to return, this is true ”
“Onana? He was Piero Ausilio’s great intuition. We sold him for more than €50 million, an absolutely positive operation. We couldn’t even compete with the salary he’s getting now. We need to immediately identify the names of the alternates”
“Scared of Arab offers? It’s a phenomenon that arrived suddenly. We weren’t prepared in Europe. We haven’t deciphered the effect yet. Quality in Europe has clearly dropped, just think they’ve signed 22 top-tier players, it’s not like in China. Here they hired real players, they brought €700 million into the coffers of European clubs”
“I won’t deny that requests have now come to us from Arab football but also from other leagues. Now it’s absolutely impossible for us to sell a player who is part of the backbone of the first team. There may be an economic advantage but then you have to replace the players. And with whom?”
“Lautaro is the key to our game, he’s doing it well. He’s very active. Arnautovic ? There are big names and great ambitions in the notebook of the big clubs. I absolutely don’t want to reduce Arnautovic’s name. First we had other objectives but above all for a personal fact. Once those failed, we seized this opportunity. And we are also sorry to have stolen him from Bologna, we put them in difficulty.
“Feelings? We are used to seeing him well in the pre-season. He can give us a valid contribution if he is well”
“Did the fans welcome Cuadrado badly? The Inter fans have absolute faith. We have received a lot of criticism, especially on social media. I read everything, social media and emails. Let’s say they are stimuli. It is clear that the “love for a shirt” also leads you to be disheartened if you think you can’t complete the team. In reality, you have to have faith.”
“We certainly have a greater effort than Juventus who can plan the matches on a weekly basis. What do I answer to those who say we were lucky in the Champions League? There is luck and there is merit, you don’t arrive by chance in the Champions League final.
“This year’s Scudetto would coincide with the second star, it would be absolutely extraordinary. If there was a Scudetto-Champions League final alternation, it could fit here.”
