Inter are said to be negotiating with Federico Dimarco over a contract extension that will last until 2030, with reports in Italy saying they are expecting the left-back to put pen to paper soon.
This comes after Dimarco was linked with FC Barcelona in the summer, and the player publicly expressed that he was pleased with the link.
At the same event, the player said “I would have expected the club to call me about my contract, after what I did last year.”
Dimarco was Serie A’s Player of the Season in
Inter’s title winning-campaign last season. His contract runs out next summer, meaning that he could start negotiating with other clubs as early as next January. He would be an attractive free agent proposition for man clubs. The defender will reportedly earn at least €4 million net with his new contract.
Barcelona pursued him last summer, reportedly offering to give up Alejandro Balde in exchange. Balde, the team’s young left-back, had been leapfrogged in the pecking order by João Cancelo, who was on loan. For a moment, Barcelona only had Balde as left-back cover.
But Barça recently signed Cancelo to a permanent deal with Barça until 2029. And complicating matters for Balde: an even younger player, Xavi Espart, has been trusted to play at left-back and excelled. That’s pushed Balde towards an exit.
At the same time, those two developments may mean that Barcelona will opt out of the bidding for Dimarco.
On the other hand, the Catalans do not have another left-back specialist apart from Balde, as Cancelo operates as a right-back too, and Espart can play on either side or in midfield. So a left-back specialist signing is not completely ruled out, but there is less need for it with Cancelo staying and Espart breaking through. There is also the possibility that Balde focuses himself and is able to win back manager Hansi Flick’s trust.
