Inter Milan have suffered another setback in their pursuit of Union Saint-Gilloise wing-back Anan Khalaili after the Belgian club rejected an improved offer worth €23 million plus add-ons. The bid leaves the Serie A giants €7m short of Union SG’s €30m valuation, with the Brussels-based outfit showing no signs of lowering their demands despite weeks of protracted negotiations.
Sky Sport Italia reports that the Nerazzurri initially offered €20m for the Israel international, only to see that proposal dismissed out of hand. The revised €23m package, which includes performance-related bonuses, met the same fate shortly after being lodged, according to Belgian transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri. The 21-year-old, who contributed six goals and six assists across 52 competitive appearances last season, has already agreed personal terms with Inter on a lucrative five-year contract worth €1.7m per season.
Right-back hunt hits repeated obstacles
The rejection marks the latest frustration in Inter’s summer recruitment drive as they seek a replacement for Denzel Dumfries. The club recently lost out on Marco Palestra to Chelsea despite appearing close to securing the Atalanta youth product, and were subsequently priced out of a move for Udinese’s Oumar Solet.
Competition for Khalaili’s signature remains fierce, with Como and Napoli also monitoring the situation. Napoli’s pursuit has stalled because they cannot register new signings until first selling players. However, Inter received a potential boost with reports suggesting that Como have agreed not to enter a bidding war for the player or Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah.
With Union SG maintaining their firm stance, Inter are now considering Strasbourg’s Guela Doué as a viable alternative for the right-wing-back role.
Galatasaray enter race for Curtis Jones
Separately, Inter face fresh competition in their reported interest in Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones. Turkish champions Galatasaray have emerged as serious suitors for the England international, who has entered the final year of his contract at Anfield. Liverpool are reportedly demanding €40m for the 24-year-old, a significant fee given his contractual situation.