Inter Milan hoping Vieri will stay
ROME, Italy -- Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti says striker Christian Vieri still has a big part to play in the club's future despite speculation linking the Italy star with a move abroad.
Vieri is still believed to be a target for big-spending English Premiership club Chelsea, who tried to sign him last summer.
And Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are also said to be in the hunt for the 30-year-old forward.
But Moratti is confident Vieri will remain at Inter and eventually link up with Brazilian striker Adriano, who is 50 percent owned by cash-strapped Serie A rivals Parma in a co-ownership deal.
Adriano is rated at around $50 million and looks set to move at the end of the season with Chelsea also reportedly keen to reunite him with summer signing Adrian Mutu who played for Parma last season.
"Several clubs are interested in signing Vieri but we have our own objectives here and are looking forward rather than back," Moratti told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I hope Vieri is not imagining a future without us. He can team up with Adriano because all great footballers can play together. Then it is up to the coach to find the right system out on the pitch."
Vieri's future has been the source of constant speculation since Chelsea offered 20 million pounds for the target man.
Inter turned down the offer only to agree to sell Vieri's strike partner Hernan Crespo to the big-spending west London club.
The decision angered Vieri who openly criticised Inter's directors for weakening their squad rather than keeping hold of their best players.
