Bournemouth and Inter Milan Battle for Genoa Defender Koni De Winter

Bournemouth and Inter Milan both want to sign Koni De Winter, a top-rated defender from Genoa. Each team wants to add to its defense before the new season starts.

TRANSFER RACE HEATS UP

Bournemouth has joined Inter Milan in trying to get Koni De Winter. Bournemouth sees him as a strong option to strengthen their defense, especially if Ilya Zabarnyi leaves. Inter Milan has talked with Genoa about De Winter but needs to sell a current player to make room and balance their budget. Genoa is open to offers, so a transfer could happen before the end of August. Genoa are close to signing Daniel Peretz from Bayern Munich, which may influence their decision on De Winter.

WHY DE WINTER IS IN DEMAND

Koni De Winter is calm, good at tackling, and a leader in defense. Last season, he played 32 games in Serie A, helping Genoa finish 13th, avoiding relegation. He played over 2,700 minutes, scored twice, and was very reliable for the team. Both Bournemouth and Inter want him because he fits their styles and has experience in a top league. Other Premier League teams are interested too, as he’s valued at €25 million.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CLUBS AND PLAYERS?

Bournemouth may lose Zabarnyi, who has played every pre-season minute so far and could leave before the window closes. Bournemouth’s first game is against Liverpool, who were champions last season. Inter Milan, who finished second last season, start against Udinese and want to compete for the title again. The chase for De Winter depends on Inter selling a defender and Bournemouth offering him regular playtime. Both teams will finish their squads in the next few weeks.