Antonio Conte Fuels Transfer Rumours with Romelu Lukaku, Ivan Perisic Comments

Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte added to the transfer rumour mill after his team's 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the International Champions Cup, saying Romelu Lukaku would improve his side and questioning Ivan Perisic's fit.

Per Football Italia, he hasn't made a secret of his admiration for the United striker:

"It's not right to ask about a Manchester United player at this moment. We must show great respect for the club and at the same time towards my players.

"I said yesterday that Lukaku is a player that I like. I like him, because I consider him a player who could improve our team, but on the one side there is my hope, my will, on the other side then we’ll see what we find with the club."

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On Perisic, he said the Croat won't fit the role he wants him to play, before stating Dalbert is an option on the left wing the 30-year-old has made his own:

"We are working, but the responses so far are not positive.

"I don't think Perisic is suited to the role I am asking for, so right now the only place he can play is upfront.

"On the other hand, I saw Dalbert play very well on the left flank and he worked really hard. We knew that we'd suffer in this match and in pre-season generally, as there is so much work to be done and no time to really focus on training."

Per the report, Perisic could become the latest star sidelined by Conte. Mauro Icardi and Radja Nainggolan have already been "frozen out," and Borja Valero can also leave the club.

The Croatia international has long been linked with the Red Devils, and last year, he explained the reason he didn't join the Premier League club was because of the arrival of coach Luciano Spalletti, per FourFourTwo (h/t The Independent's Jack de Menezes).

Spalletti has since been replaced by former Juventus and Chelsea boss Conte, who has wasted little time making the squad his own. Icardi and Naingolan are two of the team's most well-known stars, but he has openly admitted he has no plans for the two:

He has also been vocal in his desire to add Lukaku, who didn't play in either of United's first two pre-season matches. He's been strongly linked with the Nerazzurri, and his agent has admitted there have been meetings with the Italian club, per the Mirror's Alex Richards.

Lukaku himself told Sky Italia's Lords of Football (h/t Goal's James Westwood) he would love to play in Serie A.

Inter have reportedly had a €60 million bid rejected:

Selling Perisic could help the Italians raise the funds needed to land the Belgian, and given the links to United in the past, there may be a possibility for some kind of swap deal.