Sassuolo director Giovanni Carnevali has confirmed that Inter Milan have finally landed the highly sought-after Davide Frattesi.
The 23-year-old’s popularity in the Italian top flight grew exponentially following his impressive performances last season, where he notched seven goals in 36 league games.
Frattesi was subject to interest from nearly all the top clubs in the Italian top flight, including Juventus, AC Milan and AS Roma.
Frattesi came up through the youth ranks at Roma, and the Giallorossi included a substantial 30% sell-on clause when he joined Sassuolo in 2017.
Roma were keen to bring him back to Stadio Olimpico this summer, but Carnevali confirmed that the player only wanted to join Inter – although the sell-on clause would have also complicated any potential transfer.
Inter will sign the Italy international on an initial season-long loan with an obligation to make the transfer permanent for €25 million next year.
Midfielder Samuele Mulattieri, who spent the last season on loan at newly promoted Frosinone, will move in the opposite direction.
Inter value Mulattieri at €8m – although Carnevali insists the deal to sign the young centre forward, who notched 12 goals last term, is entirely separate from Frattesi’s transfer.
“Frattesi signed for Inter a while ago,” Carnevali told Italian reporter Daniele Mari. “Difficult negotiation, there were many teams, but the player had a preference for the Nerazzurri.
“Mulattieri? We wanted him regardless of Frattesi, unrelated negotiation.”
Inter will now focus on signing Chelsea outcast Romelu Lukaku on a permanent transfer after seeing an initial loan bid rejected.
The Blues are uninterested in another loan stint for the 30-year-old striker and would rather sell him outrightly. But Inter are reportedly preparing another loan offer with an obligation for a permanent deal.
The Nerazzurri also retain an interest in Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic although it remains to be seen if they will pursue a deal for the Serbian after signing Frattesi.
