Inter Mulling Proactive Strategy to Keep Star Striker | OneFootball

Inter have another concern about Marcus Thuram, in addition to the ankle injury that might jeopardize his presence against Juventus on Sunday, as his price tag is getting dangerously close to the €85M release clause present in his contract.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Tuttomercatoweb), the Nerazzurri have scheduled talks for the end of the season to address the situation. The only way to remove it would be a renewal with a considerable pay bump. The star striker makes €6M, but the team is still benefitting from the fiscal benefits stemming from the defunct ‘Decreto Crescita’ in his case, saving significantly on taxes.

Thuram would predictably have to get to the same level as Lautaro Martinez, who pockets €9M annually, to prolong his Inter contract. It’d be a significant investment. Oaktree wouldn’t mind reducing the payroll, but the front office could still do both. Their strict policy hasn’t deterred them from agreeing to large contract extensions in recent years.

The star continued to work on the side due to ankle pain on Thursday. The tests ruled out ligament damage, but he’s still in discomfort. Though, given the magnitude of the game and the fact that the schedule isn’t too busy for the Nerazzurri since they avoided the Champions League playoff, he’ll need just one full practice to start against the Bianconeri.

Our Take on Inter and Thuram

Since they haven’t even tried to bring in a young striker to groom behind the two starters, they probably aren’t too concerned about his departure. Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry and cancel the release clause pronto, even though it’ll be expensive.