Newcastle United Pursue Davide Frattesi from Inter Milan

Newcastle United have stepped into the race for Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi, going head-to-head with Lazio for the Italian’s signature, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The move comes as Newcastle reshape their midfield department ahead of Matthias Jaissle’s arrival. Recruitment plans are already in motion, and Frattesi has quickly moved towards the top of the list.

Newcastle’s first contact with Inter focused on young prospect Aleksandar Stankovic. Inter shut that avenue down, ruling out his departure, and instead pointed the Premier League club towards Frattesi as a more realistic target in the current market.

Inter have set a €25 million price tag on the box-to-box midfielder as they look to bring in immediate funds.

Cristian Chivu is ready to approve a permanent sale, seeing it as a way to trim his squad, cut the wage bill, and recycle money into new signings ahead of a title defence next season.

Lazio are also pushing hard. Gennaro Gattuso wants Frattesi to add energy and goals to his midfield, but the Roman club are operating with far less room to manoeuvre. Their proposal is limited to an initial loan with a conditional option to buy, a structure that falls well short of Inter’s demands.

That gap opens the door for Newcastle. Buoyed by significant income from recent high-profile departures, the Magpies can go straight in with a permanent offer that hits Inter’s valuation.

Their hand is strengthened further by a strong working relationship with Frattesi’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, which could smooth talks at a crucial stage.

Frattesi, noted for his late runs and goalscoring threat from midfield, is understood to be open to a Premier League move for the first time, having previously been linked with Nottingham Forest.

With Inter pushing for a clean sale and Newcastle armed with cash and intent, Frattesi has become a very real target for the new Jaissle era on Tyneside.