Official: Inter Sign Roma Star Nicola Zalewski on Loan | OneFootball

Reigning Serie A champions Inter have signed Roma wingback Nicola Zalewski on loan for the rest of the season. The Nerazzurri announced the 23-year-old’s arrival last night.

Inter offloaded unsettled Canada international Tajon Buchanan to Villarreal earlier this week on loan with an option to buy. The Yellow Submarine agreed to pay Simone Inzaghi’s charges a reported €1 million loan fee, inserting a buyout option at €13m.

Despite Buchanan’s bit-part role in Inzaghi’s system, his exit left Inter strapped for senior options on the wing. Indeed, Matteo Darmian and Carlo Augusto would’ve been the only alternatives to first-team stalwarts Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries.

Therefore, Inter had to add another wingback on short notice. The choice fell on Nicola Zalewski. The Pole’s contract at the Stadio Olimpico had been set to expire in less than six months. However, Roma handed their outcast a short-term extension to facilitate his January exit.

At 23, Zalewski ticks all the boxes for a type of player Inter owners Oaktree Capital was keen to recruit. Despite his vast Serie A experience, he’s still relatively young and has ample room for improvement. The Giallorossi academy graduate has 84 top-flight appearances to his name.

But he had been out of Claudio Ranieri’s plans at Roma, allowing Inter to swoop in and sign him on favorable terms. Zalewski will likely be in the stands when the 20-time Italian champions take on bitter rivals Milan in today’s mouth-watering league showdown at the San Siro.