Premier League - Muntari close to Inter move

Eurosport - Fri, 25 Jul 20:43:00 2008

Sulley Muntari is on the verge of linking up with Jose Mourinho at Internazionale after the midfielder revealed he is set to undergo a medical with the Italian champions.

FOOTBALL 2007-2008 Premier League Portsmouth Sulley Muntari - 0

The Serie A giants have turned their attentions to the Ghana international after having been frustrated in their efforts to lure Chelsea's Frank Lampard to the Giuseppe Meazza.

And a £12.7 million deal is expected to be finalised before the weekend as the 23-year-old prepares to make a return to the country where he enjoyed a successful five-year spell with Udinese before making a £7 million pound move to Fratton Park last summer.

Muntari told mediagol: "I'm enthusiastic about coming to Inter but I can't say anything else until I have had my medical."

Muntari will become Mourinho's second signing since taking over the reins at Inter following the capture of Brazilian winger Mancini from Roma earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the move is likely to see Pompey midfielder Pedro Mendes prolong his stay at Fratton Park.

The Portuguese had been linked with a £2.5 million move to Rangers but given Muntari's imminent departure, Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is loathe to lose another midfielder.

"Yes, I did speak to [Rangers boss] Walter [Smith] about a couple of players and he said he liked Mendes," Redknapp told the Daily Record.

"I think his wages might have been an issue for Rangers but the biggest problem is that with Muntari going I will need Pedro in my team.

"He played his way back into our side for the FA Cup Final - he's a terrific player and a really good lad - and now Muntari is leaving I need him to stay.

"Pedro is not a player I want to lose."

He added: "Because of the Muntari deal I don't need to sell anyone else so it would take a big offer for me to consider letting Pedro go."

Gambian starlet Omar Krumah is set to be offered a permanent contract with Pompey after impressing during a two-week long trial at Fratton Park.

"OJ has done well, he's only 18 and I think he's a real prospect," Redknapp told The News.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 12 of 12

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  1. to drughi_ultra85 what i'm calling you coglione juventino!

    From dante, on Sat 26 Jul 3:53AM

  2. to drughi_85 what I calling you is JUVENTINO STRONZO AFFILATO! Take this Mack......

    From dante, on Sat 26 Jul 3:46AM

  3. to drughi_ultra85 You're a three dimention @#$% like all the JUVENTINI! Shut your dirty big mouth and let's wait till august 31st..FORZA MILAN

    From dante, on Sat 26 Jul 3:37AM

  4. just another crack head !!! hope he fails at a @#$% hole club like inter.. as for the next person i see wearing a inter shirt im gona @#$% them round the skull wid me metal bb bat.. forza juve till i die... oh and jose u suck !! u did at chelsea and u will at inter u not so special one.. ha ha....... juve till i die...

    From drughi_ultra85, on Sat 26 Jul 1:13AM

  5. Nice move 4 muntari,i wish u goodluk.but make sure u dont step on JSE toe coz,the man mean buzz there.

    From decrown94, on Fri 25 Jul 11:54PM

  6. I would much rather we sold Krancjaer than Muntari. Krancjaer is a good player, but he is short of pace, loses the ball too often and cannot tackle back. If reports of offers above £ 10 M are to be believed then this would rpresent very good business.

    We still need a good young central defender to complement the Campell / Distin axis, a player who will get a lot of matches this year and learn from both our talented and experienced defenders - Kaboul seems to fit the bill, what happened ???

    JMA

    From jma.nci, on Fri 25 Jul 1:12PM

  7. im hungry

    From N, on Fri 25 Jul 11:56AM

  8. do you people watch football?
    lampard has in been the premier leagues top 2 top scorers for 4 years in a row
    well done harry for selling him for 6mil more than he paid when he sucks hard

    From mark g, on Fri 25 Jul 11:41AM

  9. No, he is not better than Lampard, and obviously Mourinho doesnt think so either... There is some absolute rubbish talked in these comments.

    From djjustone73, on Fri 25 Jul 11:38AM

  10. great move indeed!

    From Kofi A, on Fri 25 Jul 11:12AM

  11. !@@@@@@Recently, quite a fewcelebrities and pro athletes were said to appear on the millionaire luxury club ~~~+kissmillionaires.CoOm ~~~OMG!!! Are these famous guys fond of internet dating for now?? Maybe they are indeed so rich that they feel boring sometimes to need new things?!@@@@@@

    From m_seedoyal, on Fri 25 Jul 11:11AM

  12. Brilliant move by Mourinho! Cheaper to buy and maintain, more resilient, stronger, fitter, and gives better output than Mr. Lampard

    From Hotshot, on Fri 25 Jul 10:21AM
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