Inter CEO Marotta Refutes Joao Felix Pursuit Claims

Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Marotta has firmly denied recent reports suggesting the club tried to sign Portuguese forward Joao Felix before he joined city rivals AC Milan on loan from Chelsea in January.

Speaking to DAZN before Inter’s Serie A match against Fiorentina, Marotta stated: “We did not engage in any negotiations whatsoever. We evaluated some players, but ultimately decided to maintain our current squad without pursuing further discussions, with all due respect to certain individuals.”

The rumors had circulated in Italian media that Inter made an approach for Felix prior to his six-month loan move to Milan for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

In the match that followed Marotta’s comments, Inter secured a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina. The win came just days after a 3-0 defeat to the same opponents.

The game featured some controversy, as Inter’s opening goal came from a corner that appeared to stem from a ball that had gone out of play. Initially credited to Lautaro Martinez, the goal was later ruled an own goal by Marin Pongracic.

Rolando Mandragora equalized for Fiorentina from the penalty spot just before halftime. However, substitute Marko Arnautovic restored Inter’s lead seven minutes into the second half to secure the win.