Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has emerged as the favourite to land the Inter Milan job after representatives of the Nerazzurri were spotted in Rome, according to multiple reports.
Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport have all reported that Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio and Steven Zhang, the son of Zhang Jindong, whose Suning Group became majority shareholders in the Serie A club last year, were joined by Suning Sport's new technical director Walter Sabatini for talks in the Italian capital.
Sabatini was Roma sporting director until earlier this season and had a close working relationship with Spalletti, who is set to walk out on the Giallorossi after failing to deliver any silverware this season. His contract with Roma expires this summer and it is reported he has told club bosses he will not sign a new one.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, preliminary talks between Inter and Spalletti have now taken place with an offer of a three-year contract worth €4 million-per-annum on the table. Spalletti would be taking over the reins from Stefano Vecchi, who has been caretaker boss of the club since Stefano Pioli's sacking earlier this month.
Spalletti has picked up 130 points in 56 games since returning to coach Roma last year. A win over Genoa on the final day of the Serie A season would see them increase their club record points haul for a campaign of 87 -- already two more than the 85 obtained under Rudi Garcia in 2013-14 -- and qualify directly for the group stage of next season's Champions League.
It would also mean Spalletti will have led Roma to second place in four of his six seasons in charge over his two spells.
Inter will be seeking something similar next season when they hope to return to the Champions League, having failed to qualify for Europe altogether this term.
Due to UEFA's reforms of the Champions League, from 2018-19 the top four clubs in Serie A next season will all qualify automatically for the group stage of the competition. Currently, two qualify for the group stage and one enters a qualification playoff.