According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, wing-back Achraf Hakimi is set to leave Inter Milan, the newly crowned champions of Italy, this summer. The news comes as no surprise, given the club’s current financial woes. Paris Saint-Germain has been keeping tabs on the situation for a while, but Hakimi would command a hefty fee. If the sale goes through, how will the Nerazzurri deal with the loss of their star man?
Achraf Hakimi Is Set To Leave Inter Milan
One Season Wonder
The football dictionary defines a “one-season wonder” as someone that failed to replicate their form from the previous season. The former Real Madrid youngster has been exceptional for years now. As a result, he does not fall in the usual category of one-season wonders. But he is at the risk of falling under the category of one-season wonders, who never managed to stay and perform more for their club from the previous season. Hakimi who was on loan at Borussia Dortmund cost €45 million, but the transfer has been nothing short of a success. Despite the good fortunes, it was not expected for the player to leave the club after just one season.
Irreplaceable?
Inter Milan‘s late-season meltdown in the 2019/20 season forced them to bow down in the Serie A title race. In the 2020 summer transfer window, the club brought in sufficient reinforcements to avoid a similar situation. One of the signings brought in was Hakimi, who has since scored an enviable seven goals and has assisted 11 times from the right-back position. The added quality catapulted the Italian giants back to their perch as they captured their first Serie A title since the treble-winning 2009-10 season. The 22-year old Moroccan’s burgeoning reputation took a step further and made him one of the most sought-after stars in the world.
Financial Pressure
The club, owned by Suning Holdings Group has been making cuts since the start of the season, including the recent liquidation of their Chinese Super League team Jiangsu Suning Football Club. The ruthless downsizing is due to the pandemic, and this is starting to affect Inter Milan. While it’s unclear how much funds would be required for the owners to keep the situation under control but the sale of the former Champions League winner looks more likely than not. As per tweets from the reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano, The 19-time Serie A champions want a staggering €80 million from PSG for the talented full-back who is versatile enough to play on either flank.
New Inter manager Inzaghi has called Romelu Lukaku in the last few hours. The club confirmed the intention to keep Lukaku as ‘key player’ despite interest from UK clubs. 🇧🇪🔵 #Inter
Negotiations still on with PSG for Achraf Hakimi – but Inter won’t accept less than €80m. 🇲🇦
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2021
Achraf Hakimi Is Set To Leave
While Achraf Hakimi is set to leave Inter Milan, the basis for the decision is plausible and cannot be argued given the circumstances. This departure could arrive at the back of the manager Antonio Conte’s departure. On a lighter note, the club has hired Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi, who is already looking for potential replacements for the outgoing star. The options touted include the 30-year old Alessandro Florenzi, who is on loan at PSG from AS Roma. The targets include Emerson Palmieri from Chelsea and Jonathan Clauss from Lens.
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