Inter Milan Reportedly Will Not Chase Rafinha Even If Luka Modric Pursuit Fails

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Inter Milan reportedly have no interest in signing Barcelona midfielder Rafinha Alcantara as an alternative to Real Madrid's Luka Modric, who is said to be the Nerazzurri's sole focus for a late midfield signing. 

Luciano Spalletti's side are in a race against the clock to seal Modric's signature before the Serie A transfer window closes on Friday, and Calciomercato.com reported they won't seek Rafinha if their bid for the midfielder fails.

It's reported Inter are also put off by the €40 million (£35.8 million) price tag attached to Rafinha, who spent a successful 2017-18 season on loan at the San Siro but doesn't look likely to return this season.

According to the report, Inter feel their summer transfer window has already been strong and don't see the need to push for Rafinha, 25, a player who wouldn't offer the same injection of quality as Modric, 32.

Inter have welcomed a wealth of new arrivals to the San Siro this summer:

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Juventus may have strengthened their grip on the Scudetto even more so with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, but Bleacher Report's Alex McGovern felt Spalletti's side weren't far off with the quality of their signings:

Radja Nainggolan's arrival from rivals AS Roma was a particular coup for the Nerazzurri, while Lautaro Martinez appears to be a steal after he netted in four of the club's seven pre-season outings.

Following Juventus' capture of Ronaldo, the Nerazzurri were linked with their own galactico signing in Modric, but with the player reportedly unwilling to force a move, it seems Real will keep hold of their man.

Real's director of institutional relations, Emiliano Butragueno insisted as much when speaking to Movistar+ (h/t Goal's Chris Burton) recently and said: "There is no issue with Modric. He couldn't be happier to continue playing for Real Madrid."

Italian football expert James Horncastle recently told Off The Ball he believed Inter felt they had a genuine chance of signing Modric, who is contracted at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu until 2020:

Rafinha scored in Barcelona's 3-0 friendly win over Boca Juniors in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Wednesday, a performance that could have boosted his standing with manager Ernesto Valverde.

However, with the midfield arrivals of Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal over the summer months, Rafinha's first-team prospects at the Camp Nou still appear fairly slim.

La Liga's transfer window will run until August 31, giving Barcelona more time to reach a conclusion on his future, though it doesn't appear last season's loan side Inter will be the ones to facilitate his departure.