01/17/2003. Gabriel Batistuta will be joining Inter Milan on loan until at least
the end of the season as an emergency replacement for his fellow Argentine
Hernan Crespo.

The deal – which did not include any player-swaps - was hammered out in the late
hours of Friday night, though still has to get the official seal of approval
from the player himself. Batistuta, however, has already verbalized his
enthusiasm for a move, so his signature has in effect become a mere formality.

Inter will hold meetings with the 33-year-old in the next few days to define the
contract details.

Derek Wanner

"lex <alexiscc2000@...>" <alexiscc2000@...> wrote:Inter set to sign
Batistuta
sportinglife.com



Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has confirmed the Nerazzurri
are closing in on a deal to sign Gabriel Batistuta until the end of
the season.

Batistuta, Argentina's record goalscorer, is out of favour at Roma
and is seen as the perfect replacement for Hernan Crespo, who will
miss the next three months with a groin injury.

"Negotiations to bring Batistuta to Inter are close to being
completed," Moratti told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We will have a meeting today and then we should have a better idea
what will happen."

Batistuta has retired from international football, so Inter would
have his services on a full-time basis.

His contract at Roma expires this summer, when he would become a free
agent, so any transfer fee would be negligible.

He has been linked in recent weeks with Fulham and numerous other
clubs including J-League outfit Kashima Antlers and a host of Saudi
teams.

Batistuta is not the force he was in his prime days at Fiorentina, so
the 33-year-old is expected to get only a short-term deal at Inter,
but the move would give him an increased chance of first-team
football.

He has spent much of this season warming the bench at Roma, as he did
in the Giallorossi's Coppa Italia win at Vicenza.

Batistuta has only three Serie A goals this season and has not scored
since November.

He joined Roma for £22million in the summer of 2000, ending a nine-
year association with success-starved Fiorentina who have since gone
to the wall, and the capital club won the Serie A title in his first
season.

Batistuta's arrival would give Inter a sixth Argentinian player, and
he would compete with Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba to partner Christian
Vieri.

Inter are also coached by an Argentinian, the former Valencia boss
Hector Cuper.



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