Inter are close to securing a loan deal for Napoli forward Fernando Llorente, with Nerazzurri winger Matteo Politano moving in the opposite direction - a deal that would see the Milan club end their pursuit of Chelsea's Olivier Giroud.
Politano will initially join I Partenopei on a temporary basis, before his switch is made permanent in the summer of 2021, with the price set at €25m. Llorente's inclusion has effectively ended Inter's interest in Giroud, who has been seeking an escape route from Stamford Bridge after a testing first half of the season.
Frank Lampard's arrival in west London has led to a drop in the Frenchman's game time at Chelsea, with Giroud making only seven appearances since the 41-year-old took charge of the Blues.
Nerazzurri CEO Giuseppe Marotta has previously spoken of the club's interest in the World Cup winner, but the chances of them following through now look remote, with Sky Sports Italia reporting that the Politano-Llorente deal is 'becoming increasingly concrete'.
The Italian wide man is yet to agree personal terms with Napoli, though the San Paolo side will reopen contract talks on Thursday with a view to finalising his move as quickly as possible.
Politano has missed nine of his team's Serie A fixtures this term, while Llorente has featured in all bar four of Napoli's matches in the top-flight. However, the striker has scored just three goals in 2019/20.
Giroud's future remains uncertain, having rebuffed Newcastle United earlier in the month when a transfer to St. James' Park looked to be on the cards.
It seems he decided against joining the Magpies to keep alive his proposed switch to the San Siro, but that is seemingly no longer an option for the veteran.
Andy Carroll and Yoshinori Muto are still unavailable for Steve Bruce's recruits, and he is still searching for more firepower up top. Returning for Giroud is hardly out of the question, with Newcastle allegedly making him their first-choice signing in January.
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Source :
90min
