Inter ‘in pole position’ to sign Taremi in summer: La Gazzetta dello Sport
Serie A giant Internazionale is “in pole position” to sign Porto striker Mahdi Taremi, once the Iranian’s contract with the Portuguese club runs out on July 1, according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Taremi has bagged 86 goals and 53 assists in 171 appearances for the Dragons across all competitions, including 22 strikes which saw him finish as the leading marksman in the Portuguese top flight last season.
The Iranian, now with the national team at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, has only managed six goals in 24 outings for the club this season.
The Milan-based daily wrote on Tuesday that Taremi’s camp met with Inter representatives last week and are closing in on a three-year deal, worth €3 million per year, for the former Persepolis and Al Gharafa forward, who was only introduced to the European club football in 2019 with Portuguese side Rio Ave.
The newspaper added that Taremi’s priority for the next chapter of his career is to join the Nerazzurri as his answer to offers from Turkey and the Saudi Pro League has simply been: “No, thanks.”
The Iranian was on the verge of signing for Inter’s archrival AC Milan last summer, only to see the deal fall through on the transfer deadline day after the two parties failed to agree on personal terms.
Inter also considered a move for the prolific striker as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku and Edin Dzeko but refused to meet Porto’s asking price for a 31-year-old player who was entering the final year of his contract and was to go on international duty for two to four weeks in the winter.
However, in light of Alexis Sanchez and Marko Arnautovic failing to impress during the first half of the ongoing campaign, Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi sees Taremi as a perfect alternative to Argentine skipper Lautaro Martinez and France international Marcus Thuram.
Taremi will hope to inspire the country to a first trophy in the continent’s flagship international event since 1976, before seeing out the final months of his four-year spell with Porto, which is third in the Portuguese league – trailing Sporting on top by five points – and will face Arsenal in the last-16 round of the UEFA Champions League.