“At Udinese I saw this marvellous side win Scudetto titles and the Champions League. Inter are still now one of the five or six most prestigious clubs in the world and now we feel like we’re at the start of something important again.

“I would remain at Inter even without Champions League football. Besides, there’s no guarantee we won’t go straight in next season.”

Inter currently sit fourth in the Serie A standings, six points adrift of Napoli in the final Champions League spot.

City and Liverpool, meanwhile, are both pushing hard for top-four finishes in the Premier League and a seat at European football’s top table.