Former Inter owner Massimo Moratti has indicated that, if he were still in that position, he would have considered making a move for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Out of contract with the LA Galaxy at the end of the year, the Swede has been linked with a move back to Serie A once his American adventure is over, with Inter and Napoli considered the front runners for his signature.
It is a deal that Moratti has admitted that he would consider, despite branding the prospect of luring the 38-year-old, who won a hat-trick of Serie A titles in three years at Inter, back to San Siro as “crazy”.
Speaking to Sport Mediaset, he was asked about the potential deal and said: “Maybe I’d have done something so crazy.
“Having said that, there’s a balance that needs maintaining and the players already there have to be respected.
“In these cases, all these situations have to be considered.”
Ibrahimovic may be deep into his 30s but continues to perform at a high level, despite suffering a serious knee injury that cut short what was a promising spell with Manchester United, which ended in early 2018.
In MLS, he has scored 52 goals in 56 outings, leading the LA Galaxy to the Western Conference semi-finals, where they will meet city rivals LAFC.
He has enjoyed prodigious success wherever he has played, notably with Paris Saint-Germain, where he helped establish their domestic dominance of French football by netting 113 times in 122 league outings – the most games he played for any club in his well-travelled career.
Inter, meanwhile, find themselves on a high as they have started life in a very promising manner under Antonio Conte. They sit second in Serie A, with 21 points from a possible 24, and appear capable of upsetting Juventus’ domestic dominance.
It is a sight that Moratti is pleased to see.
“Conte’s way of being and working hasn’t surprised me. It was already known that he’s full-on and serious as a coach,” he said.
“He’s only thinking about Inter and he’s working very well. I think Inter will take their fight down to the wire this season.
“Of course, Juventus have shown that they have a better chance, plus they’ve won the last eight Scudetto so they have a different kind of spirit.
“However, Inter are also showing that they have both the quality and character needed to fight for the title.”