Inter Milan have reportedly activated the permanent buy option for Francesco Acerbi, whose season-long loan from Lazio expires at the end of the month.
According to Calciomercato.com, the Nerazzurri have exercised the €4 million buyout clause attached to his loan deal, extending his stay until 2025.
Inter were looking to negotiate the fee with Biancocelesti but decided not to hang around, using the €5m obtained from the sale of Lorenzo Pirola to Salernitana to secure Acerbi’s future.
The 35-year-old had an underwhelming start to last season due to a lack of game time but grew in stature once he forced his way into the team.
The Italian defender was at the heart of Inter’s achievements, including a second-place finish in Serie A, Coppa Italia triumph and runners-up in the Champions League.
Acerbi was rock solid in the defence as he even kept Manchester City striker Erling Braut Haaland under control in the UCL final despite ending up on the losing side.
The Azzurri international recently expressed his wish of continuing at the San Siro, and Simone Inzaghi can now start planning for the next season with him.
The futures of fellow defenders Alessandro Bastoni and Stefan de Vrij have also been reportedly secured, while Milan Skriniar is set to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
The Nerazzurri are looking to bring in a defender as a replacement for the Slovak, with Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah and Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich lined up as potential targets.
Inter are also closing in on a move for highly-rated German defender Yann Bisseck, who plays for Danish SuperLiga club AGF.
