Inter, who's coming in for defense? Liverpool are also interested in Leoni, De Winter is on the move, and Hancko is on the rise.

Dreams are wishes. But the problem is the opposite. It's when the wish remains just a dream. And then we have to figure out what to do. This is happening at Inter with Giovanni Leoni. He's everyone's favorite. Even coach Chivu, who had him at Parma and never had a doubt in recommending him to the management. Management who, in truth, have been following him for some time and who now want to achieve what eluded them a year ago. All well and good, but there are two huge problems: Parma, who, despite Inter's €30 million offer, continues to value their 2006-born defender at €40 million, a figure Inter can't match. And who, instead, might be able to "sign" Liverpool: hence the second problem, because there's talk in England that the Reds have put the defender on their shortlist. And if that's the case, it becomes all the more logical to look elsewhere. Towards Genoa and also keeping an eye on Rotterdam.

Inter and Genoa also discussed De Winter yesterday. They did so as part of the final settlement of the Valentin Carboni deal, which had been underway for days, with the loan details finalized in the last few hours. It must be said that we're not at the final stages of negotiations, as leaked from Belgium. But a step forward—not the first—has been taken. Genoa isn't holding back on the sale, but Inter knows they'll need to invest at least €20-25 million to bring the 2002-born player to Milan. There's not much time to waste. De Winter is on the radar of several other teams. In the Premier League, for example, Tottenham Hotspur, who will likely lose Romero, have already cast their eyes on him. And not only that, West Ham have also sounded him out. De Winter has a preference for Serie A and it's logical that he'd welcome the move. In a potential race to finish ahead of Sommer, the Belgian should be considered the frontrunner today. And he has a big advantage: despite being born in 2002, he already has three Serie A championships under his belt.

Inter, however, is also looking abroad. Weeks ago, they had inquired with Valencia about Mosquera, who has now joined Arsenal. The club's management has also made moves elsewhere, toward a defender who in the past has been linked first with AC Milan and then Juventus. Inter has inquired about David Hancko, 27, a left-footed Slovakian center-back from Feyenoord, whom they faced last winter in the Champions League. He has a high profile, but so far the defender has failed to make the leap to more competitive leagues. Atlético Madrid and the Premier League are also interested. The cost is high: around €30 million, which is roughly the amount Inter has allocated to strengthen their defense. But it would still be a lower investment than Leoni. Of course, we're looking at a player with less promising prospects. In defense, Hancko can cover two positions: center-back and, if necessary, left-back, essentially like Acerbi. It's a game of interlocking pieces, Inter also wants to cash in through second-tier transfers. But the discussion doesn't concern Acerbi for now: the Nerazzurri aren't willing to pay the €500,000 release clause to terminate his contract, which runs until 2026. If a club were to come forward for the 37-year-old, then the scenario would open up. But the arrival of a centre-back isn't tied to his departure. It's urgent regardless, Chivu is starting from the ground up.