Manchester City defender Ruben Dias is a target for Inter Milan, as a potential replacement for Yann Bisseck.
Gazzetta dello Sport report that Dias is ‘no longer safe’ at the Etihad as Enzo Maresca plans changes to the squad he’ll inherit from Pep Guardiola.
Inter Milan eye real coup
The newspaper explains that Bayern Munich are interest in Bisseck but haven’t made a move as yet. Inter are ready for that to change, though, and have a replacement in mind.
The Italian champions would expect to sell Bisseck for around €40m. Anything below that and they simply won’t listen to the proposal. Such a figure would also allow them to target a top tier replacement.
One name in particular would intrigue Inter ‘more than any other’: Manchester City’s Ruben Dias.
Signing the Portuguese defender would be a ‘real coup’. It would also require adding a few million to the €40m they might get from selling Bisseck. But there is a belief that Manchester City will listen to offers as Maresca reshapes his squad.
Akanji precedent
There’s a precedent of Inter Milan pulling off a difficult deal with City, though. They signed Manuel Akanji from the Etihad last summer in a ‘highly advantageous’ deal.
That was a loan with a condition to buy based on them winning Serie A and him appearing in over 50% of the games.
In the end, he cost around €15m including salary. Ruben Dias would cost considerably more. He’ll be no less than €50m and earns just over €6m a year. That’s not impossible for Inter, though, especially if they get €40m for Bisseck.
For now, the potential deal is in its infancy. But the interest from Inter Milan is a sign of them thinking big. They want to combine youth with experience, and the Manchester City defender would add considerably to the latter.