Inter sizing up Man City star to lead their line next season

Following a frustrating campaign in Serie A, Inter Milan’s new Indonesian owner is setting the bar high on possible summer transfer targets, with Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko believed to be a priority.

Currently laying fifth, some 11 points adrift of the Champions League places, it’s clear the 2010 treble winners need to freshen things up in order to return to Europe’s top table by the end of next season.

Having mustered only 16 goals between them, strikers Rodrigo Palacio, Mauro Icardi and Diego Milito are clearly not cutting the mustard and that’s where Dzeko could step in.

The Bosnian has notched 17 goals in all competitions for City this season, making him an attractive proposition for the Italian club and their new proprietor Erick Thohir.

Although Dzeko has returned fairly impressive goal-tallies in each of his three seasons at the Etihad, the former Wolfsburg man has always struggled to establish himself as first-choice, with the likes of Sergio Aguero ahead of him in the City pecking order.

When Carlos Tevez left for Juventus in the summer it had looked promising for Dzeko, but having been eclipsed by Alvaro Negredo’s 23-goal return so far in his debut season, speculation he could move on will surface once again.

At Inter, it’s highly unlikely Dzeko would have to settle for only starting half of the club’s league games as he has this season.

Much may yet depend on how the rest of City’s current campaign pans out – as they go in search of their 7/2-rated domestic treble or 200/1-rated quadruple – and the part Dzeko ends up playing.

A potential Inter switch for Dzeko could inadvertently see him lining up alongside two players from the red side of Manchester next season, as defenders Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra are also reported targets.

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