Nicolo Barella already agreed contract extension with Inter Milan

Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella will reportedly become the highest-paid Italian in Serie A after penning a new contract with the club.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport via FcInterNews, the two parties have already found a full agreement two months ago.

The club’s directors met with the player’s agent in Madrid ahead of the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 clash against Atletico Madrid. This dates back to March 13th.

As the source tells it, the Nerazzurri were able to iron out all the details during that summit.

The 27-year-old is currently running on a deal valid until 2026. However, the new contract will push back the deadline until June 2029.

Moreover, the extension will include a significant pay raise. The Sardinian will earn 7 million euros plus bonuses per year.

Therefore, Barella will boast the highest wage amongst Italian players in Serie A.

He will overcome his club and international teammate Alessandro Bastoni. The Nerazzurri defender currently earns 5.5 million per year.

Finally, Juventus winger Federico Chiesa completes the podium with a net salary of 5 million euros.

So as the pink newspaper tells it, only the signatures are still missing. Nevertheless, the announcement will reportedly arrive soon.

The source believes Inter will finalize the contract extension once Suning’s future at the club has been defined.

The Chinese owners are currently seeking an agreement with their creditors Oaktree Capital before the expiry of the loan on May 20th.

Suning have found an ally in Pimco who are willing to step in and help the Inter owners in refinancing the debt. They would thus replace Oaktree as creditors, giving Suning some breathing room.

The Chinese must finalize this operation in the next ten days, which would subsequently trigger Barella’s contract announcement.