Inter prioritizes Chalobah for defense, Alaba and Lukumi as alternatives

After signing Halili, Internazionale has prioritized strengthening its defense, with Chalobah as the top choice, while also evaluating Alaba and Lucumí.

After Internazionale signed Halili, defensive issues have become a top priority. The goalkeeper position has been solidified with Provedel's arrival, and there's a new main option on the right flank. Now the team must re-evaluate its backline—Acerbi and de Vrij have both left as their contracts expired, so two new additions are needed: one must be an immediate impact player who can quickly integrate into the team, adapt to Serie A and the Champions League, and serve as a quasi-starter. In other words, a mature and reliable player, not necessarily over 30 like the two veterans who left due to contract expiration; this isn't an age issue, but the first defensive reinforcement certainly won't be a novice. Perhaps even a "World Cup level" new face—a center-back still chasing the highest honors. This candidate is very likely to be Trevor Chalobah.

The Chelsea English center-back has always been in Inter's thoughts, and vice versa. In Chalobah's mind, although the Three Lions are currently the main theme, the Nerazzurri are always present. Weeks ago, upon learning of Inter's renewed interest, the defender quickly fully opened the door to a transfer to Milan, which had only been a near miss in previous transfer windows. Both parties' intentions are very clear; the problem lies in London. Chelsea's €40 million asking price obviously won't pave the way for a quick deal, but Inter is prepared to operate patiently. The signing of Halili once again proves that a player's willingness can play an important role in negotiations. Of course, Chelsea is not Saint-Gilloise, but trying to lower the asking price is not unrealistic.

Under new coach Xabi Alonso, Chelsea originally intended to send Chalobah to Crystal Palace (one of the English teams Chalobah was interested in, alongside Bournemouth and Fulham) to facilitate the Lacroix deal. Crystal Palace's asking price for Lacroix is €60 million, but Chelsea has only offered €40 million so far, and the player who could have been a makeweight in the deal refused the move, indicating he only wants to go to Inter. This anecdote suggests that the arrival of new Chelsea players might push the 27-year-old's departure, and also indicates that Chalobah is not indispensable to Alonso—Alonso envisions a three-man defense consisting of Reece James, Colwill, and Hato. This also reconfirms Chalobah's firm stance. Como quickly understood this too; they had approached Chalobah but turned away after two low offers were rejected, actively withdrawing. In this sense, Mirwan Suwarso's initial message followed by a call to Marotta effectively secured a non-competition agreement for a player whose sole desire is to join the Nerazzurri. However, Inter has not yet made a formal offer, and contact with Chalobah's entourage continues; the Milan-London line is expected to accelerate in the coming days. Inter's transfer market for defenders is heating up.

Beyond the primary target, there are alternatives. On Sporting Director Ausilio's desk, there are other candidates after Chalobah. These include free agent Alaba, the 34-year-old who has been offered to Inter for weeks; and Bologna's Lucumí. The 28-year-old center-back has a €28 million release clause—valid until July 15—after which it will become "negotiable," but Bologna's asking price is not expected to be below €25 million. Besides the financial aspects still needing Inter's assessment, Juventus's interest in the Colombian player also needs to be considered, although Juventus currently deems the release clause too high. What the future holds remains to be seen. Perhaps a transfer market Italian derby will make the summer in Milan and Turin even livelier.

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