Newcastle United Pursues 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 Italy international, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The Tyneside club are actively scouring the market for midfield reinforcements as they gear up for the Matthias Jaissle era, and their search has now moved firmly onto one of Serie A’s most dynamic box-to-box operators.

Newcastle’s first contact with Inter focused on highly rated youngster Aleksandar Stankovic. That door shut quickly. Inter made it clear the prospect was not for sale and, instead, pointed the Premier League side towards a more realistic target: Frattesi.

Inter have set a price. The Nerazzurri want around €25 million for the 24-year-old as they look to bring in immediate funds.

Coach Cristian Chivu is prepared to approve a permanent sale, seeing it as a way to trim his squad, cut the wage bill and generate cash to reinvest ahead of their title defence next season.

Lazio are already at the table. Gennaro Gattuso has identified Frattesi as a key piece to refresh his midfield, but the Roman club are operating with far less financial muscle. 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 financial gap hands Newcastle a clear advantage. Buoyed by funds from recent high-profile departures, the Magpies are in a position to go straight in with a permanent offer that matches Inter’s requirements rather than trying to negotiate around them.

Newcastle also have another card to play: their strong relationship with Frattesi’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, which could smooth talks and accelerate any agreement.

Frattesi, noted for his late runs and goalscoring threat from midfield, is understood to be open to a move to the Premier League for the first time in his career. He has previously been linked with Nottingham Forest, but this is the most concrete English interest to date.

With Inter pushing for an outright sale and Newcastle ready to spend, Frattesi has moved from a name on a list to a genuine, live target on Tyneside.