Esposito: How Inter plan to lock down emerging Italy star

Francesco Pio Esposito’s stocks are rising for club and country after the October international break, but, for the Nerazzurri he is considered ‘unsellable’. Here is how Inter plan to tie down the emerging Italy star. 

Pio Esposito is enjoying a successful start to his breakthrough season in Serie A: The 20-year-old had spent the last two seasons out on loan in Serie B with Spezia, scoring 17 league goals last term before returning to Inter over the summer, where he has since become a fully-fledged member of Cristian Chivu’s first-team squad. 

In the space of just a few months, the young centre-forward has gone from being a bit of a gamble to becoming a dependable deputy for both Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram. 

Esposito grabbed his first top-flight goal off the bench in a 2-0 victory against Cagliari at the end of September, and has since scored his first goal for Italy in Saturday’s 3-1 win away against Estonia. 

And now, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Esposito has become an ‘unsellable’ asset for the Nerazzurri. 

Inter put their faith in Esposito with a long-term contract extension back in April, tying him to the club until the summer of 2030. With it came an increase in wages from around €300,000 per season to an annual figure closer to the €1m mark. 

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, it is not out of the question that Inter look to renew that long-term contract before the end of the season with yet another wage increase to reflect the youngster’s performances in Serie A.