After Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund [PIF] completed the purchase of Newcastle United last month, reports started to surface stating they hadn’t dropped their Inter Milan interest.
The Serie A side are currently owned by the Suning Holdings Group. Giuseppe Marotta, the Nerazzurri chief, had publicly dismissed these claims and stressed that Inter president Steven Zhang has insisted he plans to continue.
Marotta’s comments, however, have not stopped reports of the Magpies’ owners wanting to take over the Italian champions.
Former defender Massimo Brambati, who now works as an agent, claims he has been informed about the ongoing negotiations between Inter’s present owners and the PIF.
“A transfer agent told me, ‘get ready because Inter are going to the owner of Newcastle’. I know of very advanced negotiations,” Brambati told TMW Radio.
The reported negotiations between Suning and the Saudi PIF continues to be a topic of discussion in the Italian media. Former Inter CEO Ernesto Paolillo also shared his views on the same subject.
“Whether or not there is a foundation, only Zhang knows. These negotiations, if any, take place only between the buyer, especially in a case like the sovereign wealth fund of a huge, powerful and very rich country like Saudi Arabia, and Suning. So, I believe that these things don’t even pass through the Milan offices,” Paolillo told Gianluca Rossi’s YouTube channel, relayed by FcInter1908.
The former Inter chief is worried the economic situation in China could have an impact in Milan.
“I’m not serene at all. The situation is what it is, in China and throughout the Asian sector we are experiencing a worrying phase. Let’s not forget that in the last month alone, commodity prices in China have increased by 13%. China inevitably becomes less competitive,” he said.
“Right now, I see it difficult for China to reopen its doors to foreign investments that are not based on mere productivity and which are based only on football, which is not in the interests of the Chinese.
“Giving up now would be absolutely inexpensive. What gives football clubs value is the stadium they own, because it allows them to enrich their revenues in a remarkable way, if operated intelligently.”
Inter recently won the title, while Newcastle are languishing in the relegation zone. Paolillo was quizzed whether it would have made sense for the PIF to invest in the Italian club first, rather than buying the Magpies.
Responding to that, he explained: “The prince has always been extremely supportive of the English and Newcastle, it’s a matter of the heart. Can Inter be there after Newcastle? Absolutely, yes. The future in the football industry is in the team network.”
