Inter Milan failed to pay first instalment of Hakimi's £transfer fee

Inter Milan failed to pay first instalment of Achraf Hakimi’s £36m transfer fee to Real Madrid and players went unpaid for four months amid financial strain at the San Siro club

  • Inter Milan bought full-back Achraf Hakimi from Real Madrid in the summer
  • First £9m instalment of Hakimi’s £36m transfer fee was due in December
  • But financial issues meant Inter had to agree an extension with Real until March
  • It comes after the Inter squad weren’t paid their wages on time in four months
  • Owner Steven Zhang is looking for outside investment in the San Siro club 

Inter Milan have not paid the first instalment of their payments to Real Madrid for Achraf Hakimi as the club battles to stave off financial oblivion.

Morocco international full-back Hakimi completed a £36million move from the Bernabeu to the San Siro back in July, with the first payment of around £9m expected last month.

But Inter were unable to pay the money and an agreement was reached to postpone the payment until March 30.

Inter Milan weren’t able to pay Real Madrid the first £9million instalment of Achraf Hakimi’s transfer fee when it was due in December. The clubs agreed to postpone it until March

Full-back Hakimi (left) had enjoyed a great start to his time as an Inter Milan player

But Inter’s owners, the Suning Group, are in financial turmoil amid the Covid-19 pandemic and players have not been receiving their wages.

Owner Steven Zhang is looking for outside investment and is in negotiations with the English fund BC Partners, who are analysing the club’s accounts.

The cashflow issues led the players not receiving their wages and, according to La Repubblica, this led to discussions with the Inter board on Saturday.

The club assured them the outstanding wages for July and August will be paid before February 16 to stave off the threat of sanctions. But the players are also owed for November and December.

Inter owner Steven Zhang is looking for outside investment amid a Covid-19 cash crisis

The financial issues, with players going unpaid, will be an unwanted distraction for manager Antonio Conte as he tries to win the Scudetto with Inter this season

Hakimi, 22, is enjoying a fine first season at Inter, with six goals and five assists in all competitions for a team who sit second in Serie A ahead of their showdown with Juventus on Sunday night.

But while Real have granted an extension to the deadline for the first Hakimi payment, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Spanish club have financial needs of their own and will be forced to ask for two instalments in March.

Though Zinedine Zidane regrets letting Hakimi, who spent the last two seasons on loan at Borussia Dortmund, leave the club, there is no possibility of him returning to Real.




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