Achraf Hakimi has officially joined Serie A outfit Inter Milan from Real Madrid, signing a five-year contract running till the summer of 2025.
Real Madrid have made an official statement to confirm that they have reached an agreement with Inter Milan for the transfer of Achraf Hakimi. The Moroccan defender has signed a five-year deal with the Nerazzurri, who have paid a base fee of €40 million with €5 million in add-ons.
Hakimi joined Real Madrid in 2006 before rapidly progressing through the ranks at La Fabrica. He broke into Los Blancos’ first-team setup in the 2017/18 season, but was hauled off to Borussia Dortmund on a two-year loan deal after just one season.
At Dortmund, the Moroccan international progressed considerably, having become a regular as a right wing-back. In 73 appearances for Dortmund across all competitions, Hakimi had a solid return of 12 goals and 17 assists. The German giants, though, were unable to agree a transfer fee with Real Madrid for the player. Instead, Chelsea and Inter Milan emerged as serious suitors.
Chelsea’s interest in Hakimi perhaps stemmed from the fact that Frank Lampard’s left-back options are dire. Neither Emerson nor Marcos Alonso has impressed, meaning Cesar Azpilicueta has often had to fill in on the left side of the Chelsea defence. The interest in Hakimi, to that end, made sense, with the young defender capable of playing as a left-back as adeptly as he does as a right-back.
Now, though, Chelsea have lost the battle to sign Hakimi, with Inter Milan swooping him away from Real Madrid. The Nerazzurri confirmed on their official website that the 21-year-old had signed a five-year deal running till June 30, 2025.
At present, the Inter Milan squad is brimming with options for the two wing-back slots. However, while Victor Moses will return to Chelsea upon the expiration of his loan deal at the end of the season, Antonio Candreva is in the twilight of his career.
Ashley Young has fared well since joining Inter in January, but he, too, is well into his thirties. As a result, Hakimi is a viable long-term solution for the Nerazzurri, with his arrival from Real Madrid potentially transforming Antonio Conte’s squad considerably.
Official: Achraf Hakimi is a new Inter player. €40M + €5M add ons to Real Madrid. ? #Inter #RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/hEjjuESWUj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 2, 2020
Reports of Inter’s interest in Hakimi filtered in only recently, but the Serie A heavyweights had quickly overtaken Chelsea in his pursuit. In fact, there had been suggestions last week that the Nerazzurri had agreed a deal worth €40 million with Real Madrid.
The fee has been confirmed by the reliable Fabrizio Romano, who has said that Inter Milan have paid Real Madrid a base fee of €40 million, with an additional €5 million being variable payment. Hakimi is now set for a new phase in his career, while Chelsea must look elsewhere for a full-back signing.
