Inter to wait until end of window to force Alonso or Emerson loan from Chelsea — report

Inter Milan have changed their tack in recent days, going after Marcos Alonso instead of Emerson Palmieri — an unsurprising development considering Antonio Conte’s great history with the older left wing-back at Chelsea. However, just as with Emerson, Inter are unlikely to be willing to meet Chelsea’s asking price for Alonso.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sempre Inter), they have a devious plan to solve that problem. Inter will make another loan bid with a buy-option, just like the one for Emerson that was rejected, but this time they will wait until the end of the window to do so. They hope this will force Chelsea’s hand, since we certainly don’t need or want to keep three left backs on the team.

Inter believe that once Ben Chilwell returns to full fitness, our stance will be more compromising and amiable, and they will be able to strike a deal. According to another report from the same outlet, Emerson is still an option for Antonio Conte’s side, even though Alonso is the preferred name.

This does seem like a dirty tactic, but all’s fair in love and the negotiation table. With time starting to run out, and the COVID-affected football economy creating a shortage of interested parties, Inter will have most of the leverage and we may need to compromise indeed.