Inter are set to beat Juventus in the race to sign highly-rated Atalanta midfielder Roberto Gagliardini. The nerazzurri have now made the 22-year-old their primary January target and have put their pursuit of Liverppol’s Lucas Leiva and Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel on hold.
 

Sporting Director Piero Ausilio is working frantically with the Bergamo club to take the player on an initial loan-deal with a view to making the move permanent at the end of the season for a fe of around €25 million. Now Atalanta is looking for Gagliardini’s replacement, with Palermo’s Oscar Hijemark reportedly the primary target.  

It had looked as though Gagliardini was set to head to Turin next summer but Inter have stolen a march and now look to be in pole-position. Chelsea midfielder Mikel had already given the green-light to a switch to Serie A but the nerazzurri had their eyes on other targets; Gagliardini now looks to be the one that they want.


Steve Mitchell @barafundler