Inter could sell Man United target Dumfries, more sales likely this summer

Inter Milan could sell some of their big stars, including Manchester United and Chelsea target Denzel Dumfries, amid a financial crisis.

According to CalcioMercato, Inter president Steven Zhang has informed CEO Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio that they need to raise at least €60 million by next summer to record substantial capital gain.

The president has turned 31 and does not want to give up on Inter, dismissing the rumours about the sale of the club despite their precarious economic situation.

Dumfries has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, with United and Chelsea the front-runners in the race for his signature.

Inter were keen on keeping the Dutchman until the summer, slapping a €50-60m price tag on the right back, but a January transfer cannot be ruled out as Inter will face troubles in reinforcing their squad in the winter market if they fail to sell some of their assets. 

However, Dumfries is not the only player Inter could potentially sell, with the club willing to listen to offers for some of their biggest stars, including Lautaro Martinez, Nicolo Barella and Marcelo Brozovic.

Martinez has been on the radar of some top clubs in Europe, including United and Chelsea, who could take advantage of Inter’s current situation to snap up the Argentine forward.

The 25-year-old was part of the squad that won the World Cup in Qatar last week, providing an assist for Lionel Messi’s extra-time goal.

Martinez also scored the winner in the quarter-final penalty shoot-out with the Netherlands, showing glimpses of his quality under coach Lionel Scaloni.

But after winning the World Cup, only a huge fee of around €100m will be enough to convince Marotta and Asulio into a sale.

Barella and Brozovic have been linked with moves to Liverpool, and the Reds could return for either one of Inter’s highly coveted midfielders to reinforce their squad.

Inter are plotting a move for Borussia Monchengladbach contract rebel Marcus Thuram with the Frenchman out of contract in the summer.

The Nerazzurri see him as a potential replacement for Martinez and are keen to secure his services on a free transfer but will face competition from several clubs, including Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Serie A rivals Juventus and AC Milan.