Inter Could Stand Pat as Cancelo Picks Barcelona

Jorge Mendes convinced Barcelona to bring back Joao Cancelo, and so the fullback’s wish to return to Catalunya will come to fruition, even though Inter had moved earlier, Corriere dello Sport informs.

The Blaugrana will sign him with the same conditions, a six-month loan covering only a fraction of his salary. Conversely, the Nerazzurri will stop discussing the transfers of Stefan De Vrij and Francesco Acerbi to Al-Hilal.

Inter might not acquire any other wing-back after the Cancelo deal fell through. They’ll be lurking for some opportunities, but they won’t rush their search. Luis Henrique has been playing better as of late, Matteo Darmian is nearing a return from a calf injury, and Andy Diouf and Carlos Augusto can adapt to the position if needed.

Their stance could change in case of a profitable exit. Galatasaray are going after Davide Frattesi. He’s more seriously considering a move to Turkey, as they’d offer him a significant pay bump up to €5M, and Juventus don’t seem to have the resources to lure him in January. While the Cimbom could match his €35M evaluation, they have tendered a €5M loan with a €30M option to buy. The Nerazzurri want reassurances about a permanent switch.

Our Take on Inter and Cancelo

He would have been a fine patch, but nothing more than that, and he would have been an unusual signing for their MO. Plus, he would have still had to adapt to Serie A after so many years abroad and isn’t great defensively. While Henrique has been okay and is no longer a liability, which has come at the expense of his contribution in the final third, adding a young stud would surely lift them up.