Inter Shortlist Five Big Names For 2009

According to Tuttosport, Inter Milan have shortlisted five big possible signings for next summer, and will immediately begin preparing the groundwork for their transfers.

The Nerazzurri this summer pulled off three major acquisitions, snapping up Sulley Muntari, Ricardo Quaresma and Amantino Mancini.

However, the purchases of the former two proved to be rather rushed, as Muntari only arrived after the failure to buy Chelsea’s Frank Lampard, while Quaresma’s deal was only sealed just hours before the closure of the transfer window.

Inter President Massimo Moratti wants to ensure that the transfer work next summer is more decisive, and has already drawn up a five-man shortlist on which the club will begin to work on.

The first of these is Benfica winger Angel Di Maria, who impressed hugely at the recent Olympics, scoring the winner for Argentina in their final win over Nigeria. Indeed, Sportmediaset claimed a few days ago that Inter have already agreed a deal with Benfica sporting director Rui Costa, which will see the talented player swap the Estadio Da Luz for San Siro next summer.

The second player on Inter’s shortlist is another Olympic star, Thiago Neves of Brazil. The midfielder recently joined Hamburg from Fluminense, but Inter are being tipped to go head-to-head with Milan for his signature next summer.

The third on Moratti’s hit-list is Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero, who is regarded as one of the world’s best young players. The Argentine has long been linked with the Nerazzurri, and indeed a few months ago the forward’s father-in-law to be Diego Maradona admitted that it was possible Aguero could end up at San Siro in the near future.

Two centre midfielders complete the shortlist. The first is Roma’s Alberto Aquilani, who Inter tentatively tried to sign this summer. The second is Napoli wonderkid Marek Hamsik, who is hugely admired by Inter boss Jose Mourinho, and who is tipped by many to develop into the best centre midfielder in Europe in the coming years.