Inter and Juventus are involved in a tug of war to sign Barcelona star Deco, according to Tuttosport.
Deco has had a disappointing term at Camp Nou, having failed to nail down a regular starting place.
Barcelona are desperate to sell the player at the end of the season, and have made him available for just €10m, and Tuttosport claim that both Juventus and Inter are fighting it out for the Portuguese international’s signature.
Juve are on the lookout for a creative midfielder who can run the show in the middle of the park, and Deco seems to fit the bill perfectly. Meanwhile, Inter also need to bolster their options in the middle-of-the-park.
The Nerazzurri are currently considered as favourites for two reasons. First of all they can more easily afford Deco’s wage demands of €5m a season. Secondly, Jose Mourinho, who worked with the 30-year-old at Porto, is looking likely to replace Roberto Mancini as coach of Inter at the end of this campaign, despite denials from all parties concerned at the moment.
Deco will be on show at this summer’s European Championships for his adopted country Portugal. He signed for Barcelona from Porto in 2004 in a cash plus player deal involving Ricardo Quaresma, and has won two La Liga titles and one Champions League.
However, he has been in poor form this season, having lost his automatic starting spot to Andres Iniesta. He is currently out with an injury, and has been playing it safe over a comebeack, leading many at the Camp Nou to believe that he is more keen to be fit for the summer - as much for Euro 2008 as a transfer.
Goal.com