Inter hijack AC Milan's transfer plan for the next big Serie A superstar

Inter have taken pole position ahead of Milan in the battle to secure the signature of Cagliari forward Mendym as per La Repubblica. The exciting teenage prospect has quickly attracted heavy interest from both sides of the San Siro divide after a bright start to the campaign.

However, Inter are currently leading the pursuit for the 2007-born attacker. Their cross-city rivals remain attentive to the unfolding situation but have failed to match Inter's extensive groundwork behind the scenes.

As things stand, no formal financial terms have been agreed with Cagliari. Yet, Inter's highly proactive approach has put them firmly in the driving seat to complete a deal.

Nerazzurri's aggressive push for the youngster is being driven from the very top of their recruitment department. New sporting director Dario Baccin has taken a decidedly hands-on approach to evaluating the potential transfer.

According to the same report, Baccin has personally travelled to watch Mendy in action on several occasions. The sporting director was left suitably impressed by the forward's raw potential and attacking ability.

Following these dedicated scouting missions, Baccin has officially given the green light to push ahead with a formal move. This decisive internal action is exactly why Milan find themselves trailing in the current transfer race.

Mendy is simply the latest exciting name to emerge from a Cagliari squad currently enjoying a stellar start to the Serie A season. Their impressive collective climb up the league table has naturally placed their brightest individual talents directly in the shop window.

Alessandro Romano has already made his senior Italy debut and is being heavily tracked by Juventus as part of their revamped scouting approach. Meanwhile, Daniel Maldini earned a deserved nomination for September's Player of the Month following his brilliant early-season form. With multiple standout performers drawing attention, Cagliari suddenly find themselves fielding widespread recruitment interest from Italy's biggest clubs.

For Inter, the dedicated pursuit of Mendy perfectly aligns with their long-term transfer strategy. The club are increasingly focused on moving early for young Serie A talent rather than entering expensive bidding wars at the very top of the global market.

The ultimate hurdle now lies in opening formal negotiations with Cagliari. With the club rapidly climbing the league table, convincing them to part ways with a prized attacking asset mid-season will prove incredibly difficult.

Whether Cagliari will even entertain a January sale remains a major question mark. Inter must now decide if they will test the waters with a winter bid or patiently wait until the end of the current campaign.