Taremi close to Inter, Azmoun says Roma are ‘defending’ him
The Iranian attacking lineup’s success at the Qatar 2023 Asian Cup has made them a hot commodity in the European transfer market.
The Iranians finished Group C of the Asian Cup with three wins in three matches. Main man Mehdi Taremi has two goals and Sardar Azmoun has one goal and two assists. Taremi’s two assists and Azmoun’s finish in the third game against the group’s toughest opponent, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), were particularly impressive.
Azmoun is third on Iran’s all-time list with 50 career A-match goals, while Taremi is fourth with 44. These two strikers are already the stuff of legend.
Their performances in Europe have been equally impressive. In Taremi’s case, he could finally be on his way to the big leagues. Inter, the prestigious team that leads the Italian Serie A, is in the running to sign him.
Having played exclusively in the Portuguese league since arriving in Europe, Tarémi has been a star striker for three and a half seasons at the prestigious Porto. He scored 22 goals in the league and 31 in cup competitions in the 2022-2023 season, showing that he could be of interest to the big leagues. However, at 31 years old, no team would be willing to pay the big money for the ‘Colossus’.
Tarémi currently has just half a year left on his contract at Porto. He has no intention of extending it. Under the Bosman rule, he can decide now where he wants to play in half a year’s time. At one point, Inter thought they might be able to convince Porto to buy him on the cheap in January, but in the end, they decided to negotiate with the player when he becomes a free agent this summer. Italian media outlets are reporting that the deal is already being finalized and that he will be an Inter player next season. Inter’s senior strikers, Marko Arnautovic and Alexis Sanchez, have been unhappy with their performances and are likely to be replaced.
Azmoun has been a disappointment at Bayer 04 Leverkusen and is currently on loan at AS Roma. He’s not a regular starter at Roma, but he’s been a “super-sub” in his short time there, quickly adding to the offense. Other clubs have tried to convince him to end his loan at Roma early, but recently appointed coach Daniele De Rossi is determined to keep him.