Inter are in my heart, says Sassuolo star Berardi

Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi has admitted that he is a lifelong fan of Inter, although he is not interested in discussing a possible move to San Siro.

The 22-year-old has been in fine form after missing most of the first half of the season with a knee injury and has nine goals and eight assists in all competitions.

It was claimed last year that Juventus had agreed that they would not take up their option to sign the player outright, allowing him the chance to decide his next move himself.

There remains confusion around the deal, however, and Sassuolo director Giovanni Carnevali stated in November that Juve’s agreement to sign Berardi was still valid.

The Italy Under-21 international has been heavily linked with Inter in the last few weeks as the club prepare for significant investment in the squad ahead of next season, and he has suggested that a move could be difficult to turn down.

“I was born with a Nerazzurro heart,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Parents will always pass some things to their children and Inter won the faith of my father and my brother.

“As a child, I feasted my eyes on Ronaldo, ‘Il Fenomeno’, and at 15 years old it was [Diego] Milito. That night in Madrid [the 2010 Champions League final, when Inter beat Bayern Munich], I went out with friends to celebrate.

“Every kid who loves football has a team in their heart, don’t they?

“I talked about my support long before they started to speculate on Inter for me in the future. I’ve read that they’re monitoring me; they have new signings, maybe Italians, as part of their project.

“But I don’t want to talk about it. We’ll see at the end of the season.”