Inter Milan join Everton and Barcelona in pursuit of Granada goalkeeper Rui Silva - Reports
According to Passione Inter, Inter Milan have joined Everton and Barcelona in the race to sign Granada goalkeeper Rui Silva.
Fran Sanchez, the sporting director of Granada, has confirmed that Silva will leave the club on a free transfer in the summer after rejecting their latest contract offer.
The Portuguese shot-stopper joined Granada from CD National in 2017 and has been the starting goalkeeper for the Spanish side since then.
He was integral to their promotion back to the top flight in 2018/2019 and was ever-present in their very impressive return to La Liga, as they finished seventh and qualified for the Europa League playoffs.
However, Silva is in the final year of his contract and has decided not to commit his future to the Nazaries in a bid to secure a more lucrative move, amidst interest from Inter Milan and Barcelona.
Inter Milan need a long-term replacement for club captain Samir Handanovic, who turns 37 later this year, and will not turn down an opportunity to land a highly-rated goalkeeper on a free transfer in the summer.
Handanovic has been a regular at Inter since 2012, but as he approaches the twilight of his career, the club will be looking to bring in a younger replacement for the long haul.
Rui Silva, who is just 26, is believed to fit that profile.
Rui Silva attracts interest from multiple European clubs
Everton and Barcelona are also expected to be in the market for a new goalkeeper and are hoping to land one on a free transfer.
Barcelona are looking to provide a back-up to starting goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen as Neto reportedly asked to leave the club in the transfer window last month.
Neto joined Barcelona in the summer of 2019 from Valencia in a swap deal which saw former Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen head the other way.
However, reports claim that the 31-year-old could be on his way out of Camp Nou after just two seasons with the Spanish giants.
Neto had offers from clubs around Europe, including Arsenal, who were keen on signing him. However, Barcelona decided against selling the Brazilian mid-season.
He will be allowed to leave in the summer for a free transfer, with Rui Silva potentially coming in to take his place.
Everton are also said to be interested in Rui Silva. Carlo Ancelotti reportedly wants to bring in the 26-year-old to provide competition for Jordan Pickford.
The Toffees' current second-choice goalkeeper is Robin Olsen, who arrived on a season-long loan from Roma in the summer.
The Swede has impressed during his time at Merseyside, and Everton might opt to make his deal permanent.
This could see Pickford sweat over his starting role at the club, as he would have to compete with two impressive goalkeepers.