The whisper of a creaking door at Appiano Gentile has grown into a distinct groan. Inter Milan, after weeks of patient negotiation for the signature o...
The whisper of a creaking door at Appiano Gentile has grown into a distinct groan. Inter Milan, after weeks of patient negotiation for the signature of highly rated centre back Biel Solet, have now thrown up the shutters. GoalZaza understands that the Nerazzurri are simply not prepared to improve their current proposal for the young defender, a stance that has sent a jolt of electricity through the Madrid air.This is not the first time Inter's financial caution has played out in the public arena, but the timing here is particularly precarious. Solet, a man who reads the game with the kind of cynical intelligence you usually find in a veteran, has been the target of serious scouting from Simone Inzaghi's side. They see his capacity to step out of the defensive line, his comfort in the build up phase, as the ideal solution for an ageing back three. Yet, good ideas in football are only as strong as the willingness to pay for them.Enter Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone, a manager who builds his entire philosophy on defensive granite, must be licking his lips. When a rival stalls, especially in the murky waters of the January window, it invites a predator to move. And make no mistake, Atletico are the ultimate predators in this market. They have the money, the manager, and the sheer magnetic pull of Champions League football to dangle in front of Solet. If Inter's offer remains static, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Colchoneros will be on the phone to the player's representatives before the ink dries on their own scouting report.So where does this leave Inter It leaves them in the kind of tactical bind they know all too well. Do they dig deep, break their wage structure for a player who could be the final piece of a title winning puzzle Or do they hold firm, risk losing the target to a direct European rival, and rely on the current squad to hold the line through squeaky bum time The answer, at the moment, feels painfully clear. Alarm bells are ringing, and if Inter don't act fast, the sound will be coming from the other side of the continent, where Atletico Madrid will be busy unveiling their new defensive lynchpin.
