Manchester City Join Rich Race for Atalanta Starlet | OneFootball

The Inter officials have received the green light to invest more than usual in a single player, and they have every intention to do so to lure either Atalanta’s Marco Palestra or Roma’s Manu Koné, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.

The Nerazzurri haven’t been short on cash after the Oaktree fund takeover. However, they haven’t spent more than €25M on anybody in a while. Their last proper splash was Achraf Hakimi in 2020, who joined in a €43M move.

Inter are wary that Palestra and Koné will be equally, if not more, expensive. However, they have the sense that Roma, due to their Financial Fair Play-related needs, and Atalanta are open for business. Per Gianluca Di Marzio, they offered €40M plus €5M bonuses, but La Dea asked for more. Real Madrid have started circling Denzel Dumfries, increasing their level of urgency.

According to TuttoSport (via Calciomercato), the Scudetto holders could dangle Davide Frattesi, who’s well-liked by both Gian Piero Gasperini and Maurizio Sarri. Per Alfredo Pedullà, Manchester City have also shortlisted the former Cagliari loanee to bolster their right wing too.

Our Take on Inter Pursuing Koné and Palestra

They have some uncertainty in both roles, given the age of some of their midfielders and Dumfries’ release clause. While there’s an opening to negotiate, La Dea has already profited from Ederson, and the Giallorossi might want to retain the Frenchman the hardest among their cornerstones on the bubble. Their price tags might reach uncomfortable levels, and it’s in question whether those are the right positions to address and players to target to close the gap with the European powerhouses. Frattesi would fit well in either destination, but those sidesbaim to cash in fully, and his salary might be too high for them.