Kristjan Asllani future in doubt as Bologna hesitates

What looked like a done deal between Bologna and Inter Milan now faces major uncertainty, with doubts growing over the midfielder’s move

Will Kristjan Asllani’s future be at Bologna? The certainties of recent days are no longer so firm. In fact, there is a growing sense that Bologna may back out. Corriere dello Sport via Fcinter1908 explains the situation:

"The agreement between Bologna and Inter Milan for Kristjan Asllani’s move to Casteldebole is complete: 9,5 million euros (about 8 million pounds) plus 40% of any future resale in favor of the Nerazzurri club. 

At this stage, only one step is missing: Claudio Fenucci reaching an agreement with the young Albanian midfielder’s agent over salary terms, in order to finally declare the deal closed.

Financial concerns and salary demands put the Bologna transfer on hold

Only one step — but it is necessary to use the conditional. Because Bologna believes that signing Asllani would raise the wage ceiling too much and, for this reason, it might be wiser to let the deal collapse.

The move that Bologna fans had been calling on president Joey Saputo and his CEO Fenucci to make in recent hours — Saputo and Fenucci have not made it. 

They have not given the green light to a deal that on Monday night seemed to be at the finish line.

Is this Bologna’s strategy to push for a further discount, either from Inter Milan or from Asllani’s entourage, or is it instead a decision that the club’s leadership does not intend to revisit — as if having one’s cake and eating it too were possible, and as if keeping the technical promises made to the supporters should not come with at least some risk of investment?

One thing is certain: if Bologna were to halt the process that had been set in motion for Asllani over the past two weeks, it would at the very least mean wasting valuable time. 

At Casteldebole, they still have not understood that words carry weight and meaning, and that sometimes it is necessary to follow them with action.

Once we underline that bargaining tactics are legitimate, the key question remains: what are Bologna’s decision-makers really thinking? Beyond what they are projecting, are they still considering Asllani? 

And if they were to turn their backs on the Albanian midfielder, would they then target another youngster with a lower transfer fee and a smaller salary demand compared to the 1,7 million euros (about 1,4 million pounds) requested by Asllani?"