Sassuolo’s Davide Frattesi is ‘very close’ to joining Inter Milan with the Premier League linked reported Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur target now set to stay in Serie A.
It may have been ruled out in the end for the most fractional of offsides, but the goal Davide Frattesi scored during Italy’s UEFA Nations League semi-final clash with Spain last month was the Sassuolo ace in a nutshell.
Frattesi made one of those trademark piercing darts into the penalty area, before slotting stylishly beyond the onrushing Unai Simon.
And, given that Nicolo Barella was the only Inter Milan midfielder to score more than three Serie A goals in 2021/22, Frattesi’s running power and ice-cool finishing promises to give Simone Inzaghi’s Champions League finalists a different dimension in the final third.
Davide Frattesi leaving Sassuolo for Serie A giants Inter Milan
“We are very close to a deal,” Frattesi’s agent, Beppe Riso, told reporters after leaving the Nerazzuri offices on Tuesday (Football Italia).
“The two clubs are only a few details away from finding the agreement. Davide really wanted this. We are happy.
“His preference is Inter.”
According to 90Min, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea all sent scouts to watch Frattesi during an impressive 2022/23 campaign at Sassuolo. There was also interest from Brighton and Hove Albion before the 23-year-old’s former Mapei Stadium boss – Robert de Zerbi – opted for Mo Dahoud instead.
“Frattesi is a great player,” De Zerbi said, via TMW. “But we need different characteristics.
“He’s still a top player. He is a great footballer and he can play in the Premier League. He can play anywhere because he has very important qualities. But we need different characteristics.”
Football Italia report that Frattesi will join Inter on loan, with an obligation-to-buy clause of £22 million in his contract. He will help fill a Marcelo Brozovic-shaped void in Inzaghi’s engine room, with the veteran Croatian expected to join Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruben Neves, Karim Benzema and co in Saudi Arabia.
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