Inter Milan 'ask' for Manchester United forward Anthony Martial as Ivan Perisic talks continue

Manchester United's protracted pursuit of Ivan Perisic appears to have taken a fresh new twist, with reports suggesting Inter Milan are interested in a part-exchange deal potentially involving Anthony Martial.

Sky Italia claims that Inter have asked about the possibility of the oft-maligned French forward being included in any agreement for Perisic, a key player for whom they are said to be demanding £48m ($62.8m) as negotiations edge slowly towards a conclusion. Just a fortnight ago it was rumoured in some quarters that former Torino full-back Matteo Darmian could be used as a potential makeweight.

Perisic is believed to have become Jose Mourinho's priority summer transfer target following the respective additions of Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku, although such a prolonged saga has rumbled on for several weeks now with seemingly no end in sight.

New Nerazzurri manager Luciano Spalletti claimed earlier this week that talks would be held with the Croatian to establish his intentions following rumours that he would reject the offer of a new contract amid that sustained interest from Old Trafford.

Sporting director Piero Ausilio later insisted that a move was "not going to happen" and that Perisic was training very well during pre-season.

CalcioMercato reports that Inter technical coordinator Walter Sabatini addressed the situation again during a press conference held on Friday (14 July) and appeared to hint Inter could accept a player-plus-cash deal.

"Spalletti doesn't want him to leave but Inter only keep players who are happy to stay," he reportedly said. "Manchester United's interest is very strong but they know what we think about the future or Perisic. We decide Perisic's price tag and we'll only sell him for a fair exchange. Perisic is an amazing player and I hope he will always have the right behaviour here."

According to Corriere dello Sport, Perisic has made an early exit from Inter's training camp and will not play in a scheduled friendly match against FC Nurnberg on Saturday afternoon due to dental pain. Inter travel to the Far East next week for a pre-season tour that includes stops in China and Singapore and meetings with Schalke, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

United, who are currently preparing to fulfil their own International Champions Cup duties in Los Angeles, are said to be eager to wrap up negotiations before the Serie A outfit fly out on Tuesday.