Report – Inter Milan Had Hoped To Sell France Defender For €15-20M Before Sanctioning His Loan Move To Marseille | OneFootball

Inter Milan reportedly had a strong reason to allow Benjamin Pavard to join Marseille on loan in the final hours of the transfer window.

According to Tuttosport via FCInterNews, the opportunity to sign Manuel Akanji convinced the San Siro club to offload the Frenchman.

Though there was no indication that Inter could add to their defensive options on deadline day, Akanji arrived from Manchester City.

Indeed, the Nerazzurri have signed the Swiss defender on loan with an option to buy.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Pavard has moved to Marseille in a similar deal.

Inter Milan Preferred to Sell Benjamin Pavard Instead of Loaning Him Out

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 16: Benjamin Pavard of FC Internazionale reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and FC Bayern München at San Siro on April 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Inter can purchase Manuel Akanji for €15 million at the end of the season.

The identical figure will allow Marseille to sign Pavard, yet that’s not what Inter had initially wanted.

Curiously, that’s roughly the same amount the Serie A giants had tried to recoup from Pavard’s departure.

Instead of a loan agreement, the Nerazzurri had hoped to cash in on the 29-year-old straight away.

However, they found the chance to sign Akanji too tempting to resist, prompting them to sanction Pavard’s exit.