Inter Push Pavard Towards Exit as Al-Ittihad Juggle Diaby

Inter’s new era under Cristian Chivu is leaving no room for sentiment – and no room for Benjamin Pavard.

The French international has been pushed firmly towards the exit door this summer, with the club taking concrete steps to move him on as they reshape the squad and the wage bill at the Giuseppe Meazza. Pavard is no longer part of Chivu’s technical plans, and Inter have started acting accordingly.

The turning point is clear. An initial agreement to sign Cristian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur has shifted the internal balance. With the Argentine defender on his way, Pavard’s departure has become both a financial and tactical necessity for the Nerazzurri.

Inter offer Pavard out – with Saudi cash in mind

Fabrizio Romano, speaking live on his YouTube channel, revealed that Inter have actively offered Pavard to Al-Ittihad and other clubs. The strategy is obvious: accelerate his exit, unlock funds, and clear space for the new project.

The 2018 World Cup winner still draws attention from major European sides, but the path to his next club is anything but straightforward. Despite interest and official proposals landing on his table, Pavard has rejected recent offers, keeping his future open while Inter grow increasingly impatient.

Inside the club, there is a clear desire to “close this file” as quickly as possible. Saudi Arabia’s financial power looms large in that plan. Inter are banking on clubs like Al-Ittihad to put down the kind of fee that makes sense for them and for Pavard.

Italian reports, however, paint a player in no hurry. According to “Tuttosport”, Pavard has already turned down offers from Benfica and Galatasaray, even though he sees no future for himself under Chivu’s new direction. He is prepared to wait for the right move, even as the pressure from Milan intensifies.

Al-Ittihad, on paper, tick a lot of boxes. The money is substantial, the league stacked with world stars, and the project ambitious. A move to Jeddah would not only give Pavard a fresh stage, it would also hand Inter fresh leverage in the market.

One name sits high on their attacking shortlist: Atletico Madrid winger Nico Gonzalez. A successful Pavard sale to Saudi Arabia could strengthen Inter’s hand in that pursuit and open another front in their rebuild.

Diaby at the centre of Al-Ittihad’s tug of war

While Pavard’s name circles around Jeddah, Al-Ittihad are dealing with a storm of their own. French winger Moussa Diaby has become a central figure in their summer, with tension growing between the club’s ambitions and the intentions around him.

Al-Ittihad want to reinforce, not dismantle. Yet reports suggest Diaby’s agent is working hard behind the scenes to engineer an exit from “Al-Ameed”. The Saudi club, though, are drawing a clear line.

Their stance has been underlined publicly. Saudi media figure Hattan Al-Najjar, posting on X, stated that Al-Ittihad have “no intention” of selling Diaby. He described the offers on the table as weak compared to the player’s importance and commercial value, arguing they would not even cover the cost of a suitable replacement.

Al-Najjar went further, putting a number on it: 40 million euros as a fair valuation if Al-Ittihad were even to consider a sale. Anything less, he indicated, simply does not move the needle.

Inter circle Diaby with changing proposals

Inter, again, are in the frame. Their interest in Diaby has not gone away, but the shape of their offer appears to be shifting.

Media figure Mohammed Al-Bakiri reported on X that Inter initially tabled a 40 million euro bid to sign Diaby on a permanent basis, only for Al-Ittihad to hesitate. In response, the Italians have proposed a different structure: a season-long loan worth 28 million euros.

That, though, runs into another complication. Diaby, according to those same reports, would prefer a clean break via a permanent transfer rather than a temporary switch.

The picture becomes even more tangled with a contrasting version from newspaper “Al-Riyadiah”. Their report claims Al-Ittihad have received an official Inter offer worth 18 million euros plus Albanian midfielder Kristjan Asllani in exchange for Diaby. Two different structures, one constant theme: Inter are trying to find a formula that unlocks a deal.

For Al-Ittihad, this is familiar territory. Diaby has been linked with moves away before, only for each story to end with him staying put. This time, the pressure feels heavier, the suitors more persistent, the numbers larger.

Inter’s summer, Al-Ittihad’s resolve, Pavard’s next step, Diaby’s future – all are now intertwined. The window is open, the negotiations are live, and the next decision from Jeddah or Milan could reshape more than one season.