Inter deny swoop for 12-year-old prodigy

Serie A giants Internazionale have denied making a bid to sign 12-year-old Ghanaian forward Freddy Adu, who is currently playing for Potomac Cougars in Maryland. Reports in the USA suggested they had offered ?500,000 for him.

"We have not made an bid for an American, and certainly not for a 12-year-old boy," a spokesman said on Sunday.

The club admitted that they saw Adu 18 months ago when he played in Italy with an East Coast representative XI, a tour partly organised by Inter, but insist that they have no plans to buy him, despite his mother's claims of a ?500,000-a-year contract offer.

"It's completely false," the spokesman went on. "We received a request from the Washington Post asking for our opinion on the player, and we said good things about him, but that is all."

Inter's director of youth Piero Ausilio had been quoted as saying: "We believe he can become a professional player. He is very talented, with a strong body."

Adu, who will next season compete at Under-15 level, is hoping to become an American citizen, and has already attracted the attention of USA coach Bruce Arena.