Inter Milan are willing to wait until the end of the transfer window to seal a move for Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri.
That’s according to FC Inter News, who say the Blues defender remains a target for the Italian side but is no longer a ‘priority’.
Inter have long been linked with a move for Emerson, who is likely to find himself out of favour at Stamford Bridge this season following Ben Chilwell’s big-money arrival from Leicester City.
The two clubs have been negotiating over him for some time, but Inter have now pulled back somewhat after securing the capture of Aleksandar Kolarov from Roma.
His arrival means that Inter are well stocked in the full-back positions, and so the Chelsea man is no longer as needed as he once was.
That is not to say the idea of a move has ‘completely disappeared’ but Inter’s strategy is now ‘clear’.
Assuming Emerson remains out of Chelsea’s plans, the Serie A side’s idea is to wait until the end of the transfer window to secure a loan deal with a purchase option.
They see that as a ‘classic low-cost operation’ that would help them to reinforce their squad without a firm commitment.
Their hope is that a lack of suitors for the defender will ‘force’ Chelsea into granting a loan, so they don’t have a surplus of players in the position.
A deal could be completed quickly too, with Inter already having agreed on a deal with Emerson, who would like to return to Italy and play under Conte, on a ‘multi-year’ contract worth around €3m per year.
He knows, though, that Inter’s priorities have changed and there will need to be departures before he can make the move, so ‘patience will be decisive’.
