Inter Milan Sporting Director Piero Ausilio: “We’re In Talks With A Few Players Regarding Contract Extensions But Focused On The Pitch”
Inter Sporting Director Piero Ausilio believes the team will secure contract extensions with some of the squad in time but the focus is currently on the pitch.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia on FCInter1908, the Nerazzurri manager opened up on a number of issues related to the team’s season as well as the transfer market.
Some of the players in the Inter squad have their current contracts expiring at the end of June.
The likes of Stefan de Vrij and Edin Dzeko are among those who have to decide whether or not to sign new contracts.
Moreover, it’s not just players whose contracts expire at the end of the current season that the Nerazzurri are keen to extend.
From Ausilio’s point of view, negotiations with these players are still ongoing but shouldn’t become a distraction as the team enters an important phase of the season.
“We are in talks with 3-4 players regarding their contracts, there could be positive news shortly,” he said.
Questions also arise as to whether or not Inter will extend striker Romelu Lukaku’s loan deal, with Ausilio stating: “Romelu has to do the same thing he’s been doing for months.
“Since recovering from his injury he has worked hard and focused on training and performance.”
“It looks to me like he’s getting closer to his best condition and he’ll prove it soon. He and all his teammates have to focus on the games that are on the way, everyone has to have Porto as their first priority. ‘ the executive continued.
Asked if Wednesday’s game against Porto could be a ‘turning point’, Ausilio replied: ‘I don’t think we should be talking about such a turning point, Inter have been fine for months, today we’re a lot behind Napoli , but they compare incredibly well to other teams in Europe.”
“The only game they lost in the league was against us and then we’re on a great path in the Champions League too, we’ll try to do our best on Wednesday against Porto, a strong team with a long tradition tradition in this competition, which are also doing well in Portugal.”
When asked how coach Simone Inzaghi was dealing with the recent criticism, Ausilio replied: “He seems calm to me, these are all things from outside, maybe because of the pressure on the team.”
“Inter are expected to play to win, but in the end only one team can win.”
The sporting director remarked: “Inter have been consistent over the past four years, we’ve won four trophies, we’re always chasing titles.”
“Despite the exceptional season played by a team like Napoli, I think we deserve a lot of credit.”
“We are in line with what we have set ourselves for the season, 47 points at this point would normally be enough to be in the Scudetto race,” added Ausilio.
“We’re in the Champions League, we’ve got the Coppa Italia semi-finals ahead of us and then there’s the Supercoppa Italia, which we won impressively.”
“I think we’re still fighting for all our goals,” added Ausilio.
Speaking about the team’s approach to the transfer market, the manager said: “I think sustainability is the most important thing we need to understand for ourselves, Marotta has spoken about that too.”
“We have to respect the rules,” he continued, “that applies to Inter and also to other clubs.”
“Because of the financial restrictions, we can’t just go into the market on a whim like any sporting director might wish,” he continued.
“The financial and economic side of the game is crucial for everyone, but we still try to put together a balanced and strong team.”
“In recent years we’ve sold more than we’ve spent,” continued Ausilio, “we’ve managed to sign some excellent players on a free transfer and not just lose Skriniar.”
“One mustn’t overlook the fact that there are six or seven top players at Inter who came without a transfer.”
Asked if there is some pride in building a strong team despite these limitations, Ausilio said: “We have to put a little more into it, we can’t just build the team with the same logic that teams do in England.”
“Just look at the ‘small’ teams out there who can spend €100m in January alone,” he said of the Premier League.
“We can’t keep up with that, so we have to use our imaginations more, we have ideas, scouts and a youth academy that gives us new resources to tap into every season.”
“Everything can always be improved,” argued Ausilio, “you don’t have to spend 100 or 200 million euros every season to build a strong team and that applies to all big Italian clubs.”
Ausilio also commented on Milan Skriniar’s imminent departure, admitting: “There is no positive side to the loss of Skriniar, we would have liked to have continued together, but he thought about it and made the decision he made.”