Liverpool full back Glen Johnson has told friends he wants to join European champions Inter in January. The under-fire Nerazzurri coach Rafa Benitez is desperate to sign the England international as he aims to strengthen his squad after a disastrous start to the season.
Johnson still wants to leave Anfield following public criticism from manager Roy Hodgson, despite both men playing down the dispute.
The ex-Chelsea man knows that Benitez is preparing a January bid for him and would jump at the opportunity to make the switch and re-unite with his former Reds boss.
Tottenham are also interested in the 26-year-old but are highly unlikely to pay his transfer fee or match his current wages, which are in excess of £90,000-a-week.
The former West Ham United terzino was heavily linked with Inter during the summer but Benitez was believed to have dropped his interest after Brazilian full-back Maicon stayed at the San Siro despite interest from Real Madrid.
But Johnson, who cost Liverpool £18 million when he signed from Portsmouth in June 2009, expects Benitez to try to make another bid for him when the transfer window opens in January and will tell Liverpool he wants to make the switch.
Goal.com understands that Johnson, who has been learning Spanish, would welcome the opportunity to ply his trade in another country for personal as well as professional reasons.
“Glen thinks he's going to Inter in January and wants to leave Liverpool if he gets the chance,” a friend of Johnson's told Goal.com.
“He is more content at Liverpool than some people have suggested – but he's not happy. It's not that he has a massive problem with Hodgson, but Glen doesn't think he rates him and was understandably angry that he was criticized so publicly.
“He thinks throughout his career he has always performed best under managers who he knows have faith in him.”
Johnson has two-and-a-half years left on his Liverpool contract and believes the club would be prepared to sell him as they begin their rebuilding process under their new owners, New England Sports Ventures.
The main stumbling block to a possible transfer centres around whether Inter sanction Benitez's wish to sign Johnson. With starlet Davide Santon already a backup to Maicon, and an injury crisis in central defence and midfield, it is highly likely that these two areas will be the priority to strengthen.
Inter sporting director Marco Branca also holds more power than Benitez in the transfer market, and will have to okay the move even before president Massimo Moratti. Both Branca and Moratti are rumoured to have doubts about Benitez's past transfer deals.
There is also no guarantee that Benitez will still have a job in January, as his side are without a win in five games and are now nine points behind league leaders Milan after two successive defeats. The Spaniard has been tipped to get the sack if Inter fail to beat Twente in the Champions League in midweek.
Johnson capped an impressive individual performance with a goal in Saturday's 3-0 win over West Ham on his return from injury.
He admitted that he has himself been disappointed with his form this season, playing down the criticism from Hodgson earlier this month in which the former Fulham boss said his right-back did not deserve to be in the England squad to face France.
Liverpool is expected to be active in the January transfer market and would welcome cash to re-invest in the squad if they feel it will benefit the team.
Hodgson has recently watched Rennes right-back Rod Fanni in a clear sign that the Reds are preparing for Johnson's potential exit.
Academy product Martin Kelly, 20, is also very highly rated in the Liverpool set-up and is expected to become an England international in the future.
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