Internazionale confirm interest in Yaya Toure

Internazionale Milano general director Marco Fassone has confirmed the club’s interest in Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure.

The Côte d’Ivoire international, 31, is contracted to the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2017, but reports in Italy have suggested the Nerazzurri are preparing a €60 million bid for the former Barcelona star.

“Who doesn’t dream of having a player like him? Toure would give our midfield line something that we are lacking,” Fassone said.

“But his wages and City’s asking price might be a big obstacle.”

Regarding the futures of Mauro Icardi, Mateo Kovacic and Samir Handanovic, Fassone added: “We are almost there with respect to Icardi’s contract extension. We want to keep him just as we want to keep Kovacic. We will evaluate with great care [their] eventual offers.

“It’s clear that if we want to sign three players [this summer] we will need to evaluate those that will depart.

“Handanovic’s renewal is an issue that we must resolve at once. We need to understand what he wants. We cannot go into next season knowing that our goalkeeper’s contract expires.”

In other news, Internazionale are prepared to offer Manchester City striker Stevan Jovetic a four-year deal worth €3.5 million per year (after tax).

The Nerazzurri could face competition from the likes of Atletico Madrid and Juventus for the Montenegro international, who has tallied five goals and three assists in 17 English Premier League appearances for City this term.

Rodgers: Sterling staying put

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted England international winger Raheem Sterling will not leave the club when the transfer window re-opens in the summer.

Sterling, who been linked with the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid earlier this season, has been the subject of reported interest from Arsenal in recent times.

Although the Three Lions’ star recently turned down a £100,000-a-week contract offer from Liverpool, Rodgers has maintained the player is not for sale.

“Raheem has two and a half years left on his deal and he’s not going anywhere in the summer,” Rodgers said. “He’s quite relaxed, as I am, and he just wants to focus on the rest of the season.

“Concentration, like I said a few weeks back, should be on his football and continuing his development. He’s made great strides over the last couple of years and his only concentration should be the remaining games.

“The last time we sat down we discussed that that was the intentions of the player, his representatives and the club. Obviously Raheem has come out and made his feelings clear on that and hopefully his focus will be on the football now.”