Italy international Antonio Candreva has said that the Inter Milan players are working hard on pre-season and they can’t wait for the beginning of the new league campaign. The Nerazzurri have made the top four of the Serie A in each of the past two seasons and they are now aiming to make the next push and compete for the title.

Speaking to Inter TV, Candreva talked up the need to be well-prepared for the new campaign, he said: "Not long is left until this first phase of pre-season is over. We’re training hard in order to prepare well for the new season. We can’t wait to start, and we want to make sure that we’re ready because it’ll be a very important year for us."

Meanwhile, the former Lazio man also thanked the loyal supporters after they purchased the season tickets with record-breaking time, he added: “All we can do is say a very big thank you to the Inter supporters because they’ve always been there over the past few years, during both the highs and lows. Our objective will be to repay them with our performances on the pitch.”

The Nerazzurri are currently under the guidance of manager Antonio Conte, who replaced Luciano Spalletti at the helm. In the past, Conte had cut a frustrated figure at Chelsea with the lack of control over the transfer proceedings, but that does not appear the case with the Nerazzurri, where he has been permitted to offer some input over the targets.

To date, the club have pursued eight players in the transfer window and that includes the recent signing of Nicola Barella from Cagliari. The young midfielder has joined the Nerazzurri on a season-long loan but they have also agreed on an obligatory buy option at the end of the campaign. The Italian is expected to pen a five-year contract with the club after the conclusion of the loan deal.