Inter Struggling to Agree New Deal With Football Manager Wonderkid Sebastiano Esposito
By Tom Gott
Inter are yet to reach an agreement with young striker Sebastiano Esposito over a new contract, prompting Atalanta to express an interest in signing him.
The 17-year-old is seen as one of Inter's finest prospects and is on the cusp of a breakthrough into Antonio Conte's senior side, and Inter are eager to secure his future and tie him down to professional terms.
Gianluca Di Marzio revealed on Sunday that talks over a new contract have stalled, with Esposito unimpressed with the salary on offer, and negotiations had been put on hold for a few days.
More details about the situation are given by FCInterNews, who state that Inter had actually reached an agreement over a new contract with Esposito's agent, but the youngster was so shocked by the salary that he instantly parted ways with his agent, Augusto Carpeggiani.
Inter had offered Esposito a five-year deal worth €800,000 per season, but Esposito is holding out for at least €1m annually before bonuses.
With Inter hesitating to meet that amount, rival sides have begun to swoop in. Sky Sport Italia note that Atalanta have enquired about signing him, while Fiorentina have also been linked with a move for Esposito.
Those two sides have obviously been playing Football Manager 2020 during lockdown, in which they'll have seen Esposito blossom into a real superstar. Smart move. Real recognise real.
It's said that Inter might even be willing to sell Esposito this summer, but only if they can secure a buy-back option similar to that included in Andrea Pinamonti's big-money move to Genoa.
Talks over a new contract are expected to continue once Esposito finds himself a new agent, with Federico Pastorello touted as a likely option. The Italian helped seal Romelu Lukaku's switch to Inter and is seen by many as the man to find a positive resolution to all this.
After making his debut in the Europa League last season, Esposito has managed a total of 12 appearances for Inter's senior side and even managed to net his first goal for I Nerazzurri in a 4-0 win over Genoa in December.