Report: Inter weigh Maduka Okoye, but is a January move realistic with no offer and a €20m price?

Inter Milan are reportedly weighing a January move for Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, but no offer has been made and Udinese reportedly want about €20m.

The story rests on Italian reports dated 15 to 17 October. TuttoMercatoWeb published it on 16 October at 10:25 and described it as an unconfirmed rumour, crediting Il Messaggero Veneto. The paper, in turn, was relaying talk that came from Nigeria, according to TuttoMercatoWeb.

Sources differ on where it began. Football In Nigeria ran its version on 15 October and attributed it to unnamed Italian media, without linking an original report.

What the reports say

According to Calciomercato.it (17 October, 07:29), Inter are questioning goalkeeper Josep “Pepo” Martinez after recent errors, including a Champions League mistake against Brugge. The site said coach Chivu has publicly backed him, and that Ivan Provedel could take his place.

Okoye is one of the keepers Inter are monitoring, the site reported, with Udinese valuing him at about €20m and his contract running to June 2028. It added that there have been no official contacts so far, and called the interest simple approval, not a negotiation.

TuttoMercatoWeb called €20m a very high asking price and said any deal would probably wait until January. It named Bartosz Mrozek, 26, who joined Udinese from Lech Poznań this summer, as a possible replacement.

Analysis: why January looks hard, and what could change it

Football In Nigeria reports that Inter wanted Okoye in summer 2024 as a long-term successor in goal. Udinese asked for €15m then and the move collapsed, after which Inter signed Martinez from Genoa. If the €20m figure is right, the price has risen by €5m while the Nigerian has played on at Udinese, whom he joined from Watford in August 2023.

Two points favour Udinese in any talks, on the reported facts. Okoye's contract has nearly two years left, so the club is under no obvious pressure to sell, and the reports say Inter have not yet made contact. A move would more likely need Martinez's form to keep slipping and Inter to accept a fee near the reported figure.

Okoye's own recent form complicates the picture. Football In Nigeria says Udinese coach Kosta Runjaic blamed a mix-up between the goalkeeper and Nicolò Bertola for a 2-1 defeat at Torino, which Soccernet covered at the time. TuttoMercatoWeb links the rumour to that error, so interest could cool if mistakes return, or hold if he settles.

What it means for the Super Eagles

A move to a Champions League club would raise Okoye's profile ahead of Nigeria's AFCON 2027 qualifying run. Regular football matters as much as the badge, though, and a switch to Inter would not guarantee him a starting place if Martinez or Provedel kept the gloves.

The January window will show whether Inter turn interest into a bid, and whether Udinese move on their price.