Moratti: ‘Inter care more about cash or the team?’
Former Inter President Massimo Moratti warns selling Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea will balance the books, but it depends on if ‘cash is more important than the team.’
A transfer is on the cards for a Serie A record €130m fee (£110.8m), although protests from fans, coach Simone Inzaghi and directors could potentially sway Steven Zhang’s mind.
“I don’t know the exact situation, but I think they are certainly attracted by the idea of such a huge sum. I don’t know if that’s enough to change Inter’s economic status,” former patron Moratti told Calciomercato.it.
“In one respect, keeping Lukaku means having a strong team, so we need to see what’s more important to them, if it’s cash or the team.
“It depends I guess on whether a sale is absolutely necessary for them. It’d be a huge disappointment on the sporting level to lose Lukaku, that’s for sure.”
Among the potential replacements should the Belgium international leave are Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata and Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic.
“There are bigger names out there, but would cost more or less the same as Lukaku, so it’s better to focus on the local market.
“The important thing is that Inter must target the Scudetto. That doesn’t mean winning, because it’s very difficult to win, but that has to be the ambition.
“Even if the team that won the title last season is being dismantled, what remains is still strong.”