Inter Push Pavard Towards Exit Amid Diaby Tug-of-War
Inter’s new era under Cristian Chivu is already claiming a high-profile casualty. Benjamin Pavard, a World Cup winner and once a cornerstone signing, has been pushed firmly towards the departure lounge.
The French defender no longer features in Chivu’s technical plans at the Giuseppe Meazza. With Inter reshaping their back line and wage structure, Pavard has shifted from project piece to expendable asset.
Romero in, Pavard out
The turning point is clear. Inter have reached an initial agreement to sign Cristian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur, a deal that changes both the sporting and economic equation. With Romero poised to arrive, keeping Pavard on a significant salary makes little sense for the Nerazzurri.
Fabrizio Romano, speaking live on his YouTube channel, detailed how Inter have moved from passive listening to active selling. The club have offered Pavard to Al-Ittihad and other sides, looking to accelerate his exit and unlock funds for the rest of their summer business.
Inter want room in the squad. They also want room on the balance sheet. Pavard has become the lever.
Pavard stalls as Inter push
The market has not ignored him. The 2018 World Cup winner continues to attract interest from major European clubs, but his next destination remains unresolved.
Italian outlet Tuttosport report that Pavard has already rejected proposals from Benfica and Galatasaray. He is said to see no future for himself under Inter’s new technical direction, yet he is in no rush to accept just any offer, despite the pressure coming from Milan.
Inter, by contrast, are in a hurry. They are banking on the financial power of Saudi clubs to close the chapter quickly, and Al-Ittihad sit prominently among the options. The Jeddah club appeal to Pavard not only because of the money on the table, but also the chance to share a dressing room with a growing cast of global stars in the Saudi Pro League.
For Inter, a sale to Al-Ittihad would do more than tidy up the wage bill. It would help fuel their pursuit of other targets, including Atletico Madrid winger Nico Gonzalez, one of the names identified to refresh Chivu’s attack for next season.
Diaby at the heart of Al-Ittihad’s tug-of-war
While Inter try to steer Pavard towards Saudi Arabia, Al-Ittihad are fighting their own battle to keep another Frenchman in Jeddah.
Moussa Diaby has become a central figure in the club’s internal and external tug-of-war. Al-Ittihad want to strengthen their squad, not dismantle it, yet reports suggest the winger’s agent is pushing aggressively to engineer an exit from “Al-Ameed”.
Inside the club, the stance is firm. Al-Ittihad’s hierarchy believe Diaby is one of their most important playmakers, both on the pitch and as a marketing asset. They have no intention of letting him leave on the cheap.
Saudi media figure Hattan Al-Najjar underlined that position in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating there is “no intention” at Al-Ittihad to sell Diaby. He described the current offers as weak compared to the player’s value and importance, and argued they would not even be enough to secure a proper replacement. In his view, 40 million euros represents a fair valuation if Al-Ittihad were to consider a sale at all.
Inter circle Diaby with shifting offers
Inter sit right in the middle of this storm. While they try to send Pavard to Jeddah, they are simultaneously attempting to pull Diaby out of it.
Media figure Mohammed Al-Bakiri reports that Inter have already adjusted their proposal to Al-Ittihad in a bid to land the French winger this summer. According to his account on X, Al-Ittihad hesitated over an Inter offer of 40 million euros for a permanent transfer.
So Inter changed tack. Their revised idea: a season-long loan worth 28 million euros. A sizeable fee for a temporary deal, but one that would spread the financial hit. Diaby, though, is understood to favour a clean, permanent move if he is to leave.
The picture is not entirely uniform. Newspaper Al-Riyadiah offers a different version of events, claiming Al-Ittihad have instead received an official proposal from Inter worth 18 million euros plus Albanian midfielder Kristjan Asllani in exchange for Diaby.
What is consistent is the theme: Inter want Diaby. Al-Ittihad are not easily persuaded.
A familiar transfer saga, an uncertain end
This is not Diaby’s first brush with the exit door at Al-Ittihad. Previous windows brought similar noise, and every time he stayed put, the rumours fading as the season began.
Now the stakes feel higher. Inter are reshaping under Chivu, trying to offload Pavard to fund a wider rebuild and leaning heavily into the Saudi market to do it. Al-Ittihad, for their part, are trying to add quality without losing their key creators.
Pavard’s next move. Diaby’s future. Inter’s bid to raid Jeddah while sending a defender the other way. The coming days will decide who bends first.
