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Inter Milan are allegedly close to agreeing to sign Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski on a free transfer this summer.
The Poland international has been allowed to negotiate pre-contract conditions with other teams since the beginning of January, when he entered the final six months of his contract with the Italian champions.
Zielinski has been linked with a move to the Premier League or La Liga, after his exploits during Napoli’s Scudetto-winning campaign piqued the interest of Liverpool, Barcelona, and West Ham United.
Inter, on the other hand, has positioned itself at the front of the queue for Zielinski’s signature, with Nerazzurri CEO Beppe Marotta recently confirming to DAZN that his club had been sending out feelers for a summer move, and sports director Piero Ausilio has now taken leadership of the operation.
“I spoke with Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis. “I told him that we were testing the waters in accordance with the rules,” Marotta told FCInterNews.
“Ausilio will decide on how to proceed. And if everything works out, we’ll sign him for next season. These are the kinds of intuitions that sporting directors at clubs must have.”
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According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Inter are close to reaching a verbal deal with Zielinski, who will arrive at San Siro on a free transfer in early July if all goes as planned.
Romano adds that both parties are finalizing the details of Zielinski’s contract, and the Nerazzurri want to have all of the necessary documents completed before the end of the month.
Goalinski last extended his contract with Napoli in 2020. It appears that the former Udinese player turned down the Partenopei’s offer to sign him after the current campaign.
Strangely, the 29-year-old was left out of Napoli’s Champions League quarterfinal team, reportedly because he wouldn’t accept new terms. Director Mauro Meluso, though, insisted that football was the only factor in the decision.
“We talked to them, explained the logic behind these decisions, which were purely about football,” Meluso was quoted as saying by DAZN. “Leander Dendoncker, who just arrived, is also not on the UEFA list. We had to make these decisions because we needed to adhere to specific restrictions.
“Zielinski is a golden lad and a great professional.”
“Even though he is limited to Serie A, he has contributed and will continue to give Napoli a great deal.”
Zielinski joined Napoli from Udinese in the summer of 2016. In 355 games during his playing career, he has scored 50 goals and provided 46 assists. He has also won one Coppa Italia and the 2022–23 Serie A championship.
Due to muscle exhaustion, the Pole missed last weekend’s 2-1 win over Hellas Verona. He is also doubtful for Sunday’s match against AC Milan at his future San Siro home.
