Thohir denies talks are regarding control of 80% shareholding of the club.
Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir has revealed he is not in talks with Inter president Massimo Moratti over a majority stake in the club.
Thohir is currently in Italy and met with Moratti for lunch on Thursday, with speculation in the Italian media suggesting that the pair were close to reaching a deal over the sale of the club.
It had been reported that the wealthy businessman would be purchasing 75% of the club for a fee of around €350m, however he was keen to dismiss the rumours on Friday.
“I have the greatest respect for the Moratti family, an important family, and at this point in time I don’t want to reveal anything about the talks,” he told Sky Sport Italia as quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I’m hopeful. But what I can say is that we are not talking about an 80 per cent share of the club, absolutely not.
“Furthermore, I would not allow myself to present a list of directors to be brought into the club. I heard rumours of Leonardo, but that is not true.
“I also don’t want to interfere with transfer market choices.
“We’re working on a general agreement and I will respect the timescale of the Moratti family.”
It had been claimed that Thohir had received the required bank guarantees on Thursday ahead of an agreement being ratified on the weekend for him to become the majority owner of the Nerazzurri.
However, he has now revealed that he will be leaving Milan on Saturday, and doesn’t expect a quick outcome to talks with Moratti, and fully respects the wishes of the current owner.
It remains to be seen what figures the pair are discussing in terms of how much Thohir will spend on a part ownership agreement, but it is clear from his previous statements that he will hand Moratti a significant role at the club after the deal is concluded.
As per Moratti’s wishes, the priority will be the construction of a new stadium while funds will undoubtedly be made available to coach Walter Mazzarri to further strengthen the squad.
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