Newcastle and Barcelona target to disappoint suitors by signing new Inter Milan contract

Newcastle United and Barcelona will be disappointed as transfer target Marcelo Brozovic is close to signing a new contract with Inter Milan instead of moving anywhere on a free transfer this summer.

The 29-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of the season and both Newcastle and Barca were hoping to tempt him away from the San Siro.

The Magpies especially were ready to hand the Croatia international enormous wages to bring him to their project under new Saudi-led ownership.

However, it looks like Brozovic is happy where he is and is close to signing an extension on his deal with Inter, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who are also hopeful of giving Ivan Perisic a new contract.

Speaking to Sky earlier this week, Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta said: ‘We’re in talks with Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic to extend their contracts.

‘They want to stay here and our feeling is the same, we want them to stay.’

Brozovic will earn considerably less with his new Inter deal than he would have done if he moved to Newcastle, but the midfielder has been at the club since joining from Dinamo Zagreb in January 2015.

Simone Inzaghi’s side are fighting for the Serie A title and are a Champions League side, while Newcastle are scrapping against Premier League relegation, despite their enormous bank balance.

The Magpies made significant investment in January, bringing in Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn on permanent deals, while adding Matt Targett on loan from Aston Villa.

If they remain in the Premier League then we can expect some huge signings in the summer, but Brozovic will not be one of them.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twit