Inter Milan are on the verge of completing a deal to sign Udinese central midfielder Lazar Samardzic, claims Sky Italia.
The Nerazzurri have reached an agreement with their Italian counterparts to sign the 21-year-old midfielder on loan with an obligation to buy for €22 million plus bonuses.
Inter will pay a €4m loan fee before parting ways with €16m to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, plus an additional €2m in bonuses.
Samardzic is expected in Milan over the next 24 hours to undergo medical examinations before signing on the dotted line.
The Berlin-born Serbian midfielder will sign a long-term contract with the reigning Coppa Italia champions and pocket around €1.5m annually.
The transfer will see 20-year-old midfielder Giovanni Fabbian move in the opposite direction as a like-for-like replacement for Samardzic.
After coming through the youth ranks at Inter, the Italian midfielder spent the previous campaign on loan at Reggina, where he clocked eight goals and an assist in 36 Serie B games.
Inter will maintain a buy-back option for Fabbian worth €12m. He is expected to finalize his transfer with the Friulians before Samardzic can travel to Milan.
Samardzic is set to be Inter’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window following the arrivals of Yann Sommer, Yann Bisseck, Davide Frattesi, Juan Cuadrado and Marcus Thuram.
However, the Nerazzurri are not done in the transfer market as they continue to prepare a bid to sign Arsenal’s wantaway striker Folarin Balogun.
Inter see the United States centre-forward as an ideal candidate to replace Romelu Lukaku, but Arsenal’s asking price could complicate the transfer for the Italian giants.
They have kept communication lines with Arsenal open to try and find common ground over a transfer fee, with the Gunners demanding £40m for their striker.
They have already rejected two bids from Ligue 1 club AS Monaco, who are also keen to sign Balogun. Inter must act fast or miss out on the former Stade Reims loanee.
