Lazio-Owned Acerbi Makes Clear He Wants To Stay At Inter Milan | OneFootball

Inter defender Francesco Acerbi has made clear that he hopes to stay at the club past the end of the season when his current loan deal expires.

Speaking to Italian broadcaster DAZN, via FCInterNews, the 35-year-old gave his thoughts on his future as well as the Champions League and other topics.

As things stand, Acerbi is only at Inter on loan from Lazio until the end of the current season.

However, the 35-year-old’s performances this season have given the Nerazzurri reason to want to sign him on a permanent basis.

Reports have suggested that this is the case, whilst it has also been reported that Inter do want to sign Acerbi permanently at the end of the season but not for the €4 million purchase option in his loan deal from the Biancocelesti.

As for the intentions of the player himself, Acerbi made clear that “I want to stay at Inter.”

“I don’t know anything [regarding the negotiations off the pitch], and I don’t really care, though.”

“There are two massive months on the way, I’m just trying to do my best,” Acerbi said.

“Whatever happens happens,” the defender added. “I’m feeling great at Inter, if it were up to me I’d stay here without any issue.”

As for what he expects the Nerazzurri can achieve over the remainder of the season, Acerbi said that “We can reach the final of the Champions League, these are all do-or-die matches.”

“Obviously we’ve spoken about this in the locker room.”

“You just have to go for it,” he said.

Of the quarterfinals, Acerbi noted that “Benfica are a very strong team, but it’s within our reach, and it’s important for us to go through.”

“Then there’s also the league, and we know that we can’t take anything for granted there,” he continued.

Regarding the criticisms that the team have received this season, Acerbi said that “I think we also have to look at the positives, such as winning the Supercoppa Italiana and reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League.”

“We can also reach the semifinals, these are all within our reach.”

“We should be given credit where it’s due, something that’s sometimes forgotten about, but at the same time we have to acknowledge the other side of things,” Acerbi said.

“We’ve had too many ups and downs in the league,” the defender.

“If I’m being honest, we could have taken ten, eleven, twelve more points in the league table,” Acerbi said.

Of the final few minutes of Inter’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg match against Porto, the 35-year-old admitted that “It was the most painful match I’ve ever played.”

“In the closing stages there were a lot of nerves, the ball was coming into the box from all angles.”

“Fortunately Dumfries cleared it off the line, I thanked him and that was when I realized that we were getting it over the line.”

Of Filip Kostic’s winning goal for Juventus before the international break, Acerbi said that “It’s a bit ruined by the handball.”

“No excuses, though, they interpreted the match better. ”

“They deservedly won, they played with more balance on the pitch,” he added.

“That moment has to become a motivation for us in the semifinals of the Coppa Italia,” Acerbi noted.