Newcastle United have reportedly suffered a setback in their pursuit of Robin Gosens, with Inter Milan leading the battle to capture the Atalanta defender.
According to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Inter Milan are set to overtake Newcastle United in the chase to sign Atalanta left-back Robin Gosens. Both clubs have made offers to sign him, but the 27-year-old German defender prefers to stay in Italy rather than switch to the Premier League.
Newcastle appeared to be the likely destination after they tabled a lucrative offer to Gosens, who was open to the idea of moving to Tyneside. However, Inter Milan’s strong interest has seemingly turned the German international’s head. He is now more inclined towards a move join to the Serie A champions instead of Newcastle.
The Italian giants are in advanced talks with Atalanta and have moved quickly in their attempt to finalise the deal for the 27-year-old, and things appear to have progressed rapidly in the last hours. The clubs have agreed on a transfer mechanism that will see Gosens join the Nerazzurri on loan for the remainder of the season before an obligation to buy him for €22 million plus bonuses gets activated in the summer if certain achievable parameters are met.
As per FC Inter News, the Nerazzurri have also agreed personal terms with Gosens, who will sign a four-year contract worth €2.5 million per season with add-ons, which is much less than the €3.5 million offered by Newcastle. But it is still a huge improvement on his current wage packet in Bergamo.
Inter will insist for German left back Robin Gosens as main target for this window. Negotiation with Atalanta will take place soon – Inter want Gosens as priority ? #Inter
They're facing competition from Newcastle – this is why Inter are now pushing. ⤵️https://t.co/QJFoQiXcMl
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 25, 2022
Robin Gosens joined Atalanta in 2017 from Heracles. Regarded as one of Serie A’s best left-footed players, the 27-year-old has been a revelation and has established himself as a key player for La Dea, clocking up 157 competitive appearances and boasting an impressive 50-goal involvements.
He also starred for Die Mannschaft in their UEFA Euro 2020 campaign and has earned 13 caps for the German national team. Gosens has been out of footballing action since September due to a hamstring injury, with a return expected around mid-February. A switch to San Siro could see him play a part in the Inter’s Serie A title challenge.
Inter are currently on course to defend their title and moved into the international break four points ahead of rivals AC Milan, having played a game less. The Italian giants are eyeing the German defender this month as they expect to lose Ivan Perisic in the summer, with Gosens seen as an ideal replacement and a perfect fit in Simone Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 system.
The news comes as another blow to Newcastle after a move for Diego Carlos collapsed recently. The Magpies are eager to reinforce their squad to boost their Premier League survival bid but are finding it difficult owing to their current predicament.
The 27-year-old wing-back is under contract with Atalanta until June 2023 and could be sold this month. As it stands, nothing is confirmed yet, but Inter appear firmly in the driving seat to secure Gosens’s signatures in the coming days.
