THE INTERNAZIONALE president, Massimo Moratti, has insisted the European champions have no intention of selling Wesley Sneijder despite confirming his club have received an approach from Manchester United for the Dutch international.
United are believed to be considering making a bid of around €35 million for the 26-year-old, who has capped a treble-winning season in Italy with an instrumental role in his country’s progress to the World Cup final.
Sneijder’s agent, Soren Lerby, has confirmed the midfielder will hold talks with Inter directors and the new head coach, Rafael Benitez, after the World Cup with a view to extending his contract in Milan until 2015.
The former Ajax player is only 12 months into the five-year contract he signed when moving from Real Madrid for €18 million last summer but, such has been his impact on a club that won the Coppa Italia, Seria A title and Champions League in May, that both parties are looking to improve and extend his terms.
Alex Ferguson, however, is prepared to test their resolve with an offer that would give Inter a significant profit.
“The interest from Manchester United in Sneijder is real, but I didn’t look into it in an attempt not to fall into temptation,” said Moratti, who has already lost his Champions League-winning coach, Jose Mourinho, to Real Madrid this summer. “I am following him at the World Cup and I think I will do the same also at Inter for the next years.”
United – along with Manchester City – were also linked with the Inter striker Mario Balotelli yesterday, although the controversial 19-year-old is not believed to be high on Roberto Mancini’s wanted list at Eastlands.
Balotelli’s agent, Mino Raiola, said: “Manchester United have called Inter to demonstrate their interest. Now we will think things over. United is one of the most interesting projects in the world, but there are other offers.”
Moratti was quick to dismiss the agent’s claim, however. “This is just the sort of talk that precedes a transfer campaign,” he said. “Mario has not asked to be sold. I don’t understand why I need to make a problem out of this.”
Meanwhile, Barcelona failed to pay their players at the end of June, club president Sandro Rosell revealed yesterday.
Rosell, who succeeded Joan Laporta at the financially troubled Catalan outfit last week, also said a loan of about €150 million had been secured to pay wages.
Guardian Service
