Inter ready to offload Alexis Sanchez in January transfer window
Baku, March 11, AZERTAC
Inter are prepared to offload high earner Alexis Sanchez in the January transfer window and may even sell his compatriot Arturo Vidal as they look to continue trimming the playing squad to reduce the wage bill, according to 90min.
The Nerazzurri's financial troubles meant they were forced into selling key figures from their title-winning starting lineup in the summer, receiving €70m for wing-back Achraf Hakimi and £97.5m for superstar striker Romelu Lukaku.
Those sales managed to ease Inter's money issues, but they are not out of the woods yet. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, owner Steven Zhang is hoping to strip the squad further in January, starting with top earner Sanchez.
The 32-year-old initially joined the Nerazzurri on a season-long loan from Man Utd, but Inter opted to make the move permanent and take on his whopping €7m-a-year wages in August 2020. He featured 30 times in the league during Inter's scudetto-winning 2020/21 campaign, but since then little has fallen for the Chilean.
Injuries have prevented him from making an impact this season, coming on as a late substitute in three Serie A matches under Simone Inzaghi. The arrivals of Edin Dzeko and Joaquin Correa have cast him further down the pecking order, and he has become a peripheral figure in attack.
Subsequently, Inter are ready to get him off their books this winter. The club wants to remove his €7m salary from the wage bill, which would free up around €10.5m given that his contract will expire in the summer of 2023.
The Nerazzurri know it'll be difficult to find a willing buyer who can cover his wages, and so they would consider coming to a mutual termination with Sanchez, including a severance package, as paying him to leave the club would still save them millions in the long run.
They are also prepared to part ways with midfielder Vidal, another high earner in Milano, despite the fact he still makes key contributions off the bench for Inzaghi's side.
As they did with Hakimi and Lukaku, Inter would aim to find a cheaper replacement on much lower wages, with Sassuolo star Gianluca Scamacca linked with a move to San Siro.
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