Inter are coming off a lengthy meeting with Christian Chivu to discuss the summer strategy and his upcoming extension, and, they are more inclined to keep a pair of veterans, in particular Stefan De Vrij and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, than in previous months, Fabrizio Romano reports (via SOSFanta).
The Nerazzurri will propose to the Dutchman a one-year extension, slicing his salary in half. They’ll meet with his agent soon. He has featured just 16 times this campaign, falling behind Manuel Akanji, Yann Aurel Bisseck and even Francesco Acerbi in the pecking order. He had alternated with the last one in previous campaigns.
While Inter could lose De Vrij to another team, Mkhitaryan is contemplating retirement. The brass and the gaffer would happily retain him if he kept playing. His minutes haven’t been as consistent as in the past, but he still appeared 38 times and was serviceable, totaling 4 goals and 3 assists.
In other positions, Chivu and the front office are on the same page about promoting Josep Martinez. The negotiation for Guglielmo Vicario has stalled following the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi. Instead, Bisseck hired a new agent. His future might have to be monitored through the summer. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MSN), Bayern Munich are after him.
Perhaps the former will play a little more with Acerbi leaving, but the alternatives would have to be really scarce for him to prefer sticking around. With Petar Sucic blossoming and Piotr Zielinski bringing a lot to the table, the Armenian talisman’s role better suits a player of his age, and his savviness and all-around skillset still come in handy while rotating.
