Inter Milan set to conclude deal for Achraf Hakimi, so what’s next for Victor Moses?

Recent rumors about Victor Moses portrayed a scenario where Inter Milan did not have the necessary finances to pursue a move for the Chelsea loanee, but it seems that in reality, the Nerazzurri may have been looking for a higher-profile signing all along.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio and Fabrizio Romano (for the Guardian), Inter have actually been laying the groundwork for a move for Real Madrid’s Achraf Hakimi. The 21-year-old has grown by leaps and bounds in his two-season loan at Borussia Dortmund and is now regarded as one of the best attacking right backs in the world.

He has 9 goals and 10 assists in 44 appearances for BVB this season and while there are question marks over his defensive ability, his style of play would certainly fit into Antonio Conte’s wingback-oriented system.

Hakimi’s contract with Real Madrid is set to expire in 2022, and even though there were reports that Real Madrid see him in their long-term plans, it would now appear that they’re happy to let him go for €40m plus add-ons (a steal in any market). The player has apparently already reached an agreement over terms for a 5-year contract with Inter Milan and the Serie A club are just waiting to finalize the deal with Real.

This definitely does not bode well for Victor Moses. His long-term future in Antonio Conte’s project was already uncertain, and this seems like the final nail in the coffin. Corriere dello Sport (via Sempre Inter) share similar tidings, claiming that the Inter top-brass feel that Moses doesn’t deserve a long-term contract due to his failure to secure the starting berth and they would rather invest in a starter-level caliber player.

However, Hakimi won’t be able to play for Inter in any of this season’s competitions, and therefore, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sempre Inter), Inter want to hold on to Moses (and Alexis Sanchez) until the current season’s competitions finish. Moses’ loan with Inter expires next week, on June 30. Inter, like Chelsea, are set to play their remaining domestic matches in July and their European games in August.

Even if his loan is extended by a month or two, his future beyond that is uncertain. His contract with Chelsea expires in 2021, and while Chelsea usually do extend the contract of the player in situations like these before sending him on another loan assignment, Moses will be on the wrong side of 30 later this year. It’s logical to assume that Chelsea will try to offload him permanently, but whether Chelsea will be able to get the €12m we seemingly want is extremely doubtful.