Newcastle United Target 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. The club have been scouring the market for options, and their search has now led them firmly to Milan.

Newcastle’s first conversations with Inter focused on young talent Aleksandar Stankovic. Inter quickly shut that door, ruling out his departure. Instead, the Italian champions pointed the Premier League side towards a different opportunity: Davide Frattesi.

Inter have set a €25 million price tag on the 24-year-old, looking to bring in immediate funds. Cristian Chivu, preparing his squad for a title defence, views a permanent sale of the box-to-box midfielder as a necessary step to trim numbers, reduce the wage bill, and recycle money back into the team.

Lazio have been in the frame for Frattesi for some time, with Gennaro Gattuso keen to add his running power and goal threat to the Roman club’s midfield. But Lazio are hamstrung. Financial limitations mean they can only put forward a proposal built around an initial loan with a conditional option to buy – a structure that falls short of Inter’s demands.

That imbalance opens the door for Newcastle. 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 expectations.

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

Frattesi, renowned for his late bursts into the box and eye for goal from midfield, is understood to be ready to consider the Premier League seriously for the first time. He has previously been linked with Nottingham Forest, but a move never materialised.

Now, with Inter pushing for a sale and Newcastle armed with both cash and intent, Frattesi has become a very real, very concrete target for the Tyneside club.