Inter Milan have announced the signing of Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi.
The Italy international midfielder joins the Nerazzurri on loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent for a fee of around €25 million next year.
Frattesi becomes Inter’s second signing of the summer transfer window following the arrival of Marcus Thuram from Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach on a free transfer.
The Italian midfielder will replace Marcelo Brozovic, who has joined Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on a three-year deal. The Middle East club paid around €23m for his services.
Frattesi was courted by nearly all the top clubs in the Italian top flight, including Juventus, AC Milan and former team AS Roma. He chose to join Inter, who had identified him as a primary target earlier in the window.
When asked why he chose to join Inter, he said: “It all started a year and a half ago when I played against Inter and was really impressed by the stadium and fans.
“This is a very important factor for me, which is why I didn’t have any second thoughts when this opportunity presented itself.”
Frattesi also expressed delight at getting to feature at San Siro Stadium and wasted no time outlining his long-term ambitions with the Nerazzurri.
“I certainly hope to win a few trophies,” he added. “I’ll show commitment and professionalism, and I hope to score a few goals.
“It was difficult as an opponent [playing at San Siro], but it’ll provide extra motivation as an Inter player. I can’t wait to score a goal and celebrate in front of the Curva.”
Inter are far from done with their transfer business this summer, with the Italian giants still hoping to reach an agreement to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.
The Nerazzurri are preparing a fresh loan proposal with the obligation to buy for the 30-year-old who has spent the last two seasons at the Guiseppe Meazza.
They are also considering a move for Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic with the Bianconeri set to demand at least €20m for the Serbian midfielder.
