Inter target Evan Ndicka to replace De Vrij, valued at 40 million euros

Inter Milan wasted no time. With the imminent departure of Stefan de Vrij – whose contract expires at the end of June – the Nerazzurri board has already identified his replacement: Roma centre-back Evan Ndicka. The Dutchman is expected to sign for Panathinaikos of Greece, and the Milanese club wants to plug the gap before pre-season begins.

Roma need to sell to survive FFP

The deal only makes sense because Roma are cornered. The club from the Italian capital needs to raise 60 million euros by the end of the month to comply with an agreement with UEFA related to Financial Fair Play rules. This is not an ordinary transfer-window negotiation – it is regulatory urgency with a fixed deadline.

Ndicka, valued at around 40 million euros, is one of the most viable departures to help the Giallorossi resolve this impasse. The Ivorian is an important piece in the defensive setup and the team returns to the Champions League next season. But the maths does not usually bend to the wishes of coaches.

Intense movement in Inter’s market

The transfer window promises to be busy for the club that has just won the domestic double under Cristian Chivu. Besides Ndicka, Inter are working on multiple fronts simultaneously.

The signing of right-back Marco Palestra, negotiated for 50 million euros, is expected to be announced in the coming days. There are also ongoing talks with Udinese for defender Oumar Solet – the two parties still differ by around 5 million euros, a gap that rarely stalls a negotiation at this stage.

For midfield, the target is Curtis Jones of Liverpool. The problem: Inter must first offload Davide Frattesi to balance the books. In other words, sell to buy. The classic logic of the European summer market.