Inter Milan defender Davide Santon has said Manchester United's Matteo Darmian would be welcome at the club, but would have to fight for a place.
Inter are expected to bid for Italy international Darmian in the winter transfer window but Santon said he had no plans to step aside for him.
"I know Matteo well -- he's a friend of mine and we were in the national team together," calciomercato.com reported him as saying.
"These rumours are nice and he would be welcome here. Obviously it would mean competition for my place, but I would be happy for him to come."
Santon saw moves to Sunderland, Napoli and West Ham United fall through in the summer because of failed medicals, but has played in six of Inter's opening seven Serie A games.
He said he had benefited from the change of manager that saw Robrto Mancini depart and Frank de Boer arrive.
"I am not going anywhere in January -- I feel reborn," he added. "It was a difficult summer, with Mancini considering me the fourth or the fifth choice and so we decided to go separate ways to ensure I didn't lose a year.
"That didn't happen and you can see that my destiny was to remain here. The rest of the story is well known -- De Boer arrived and he placed his faith in me and I started playing again, but that is all because I never gave up.
"It's important to feel that the coach wants you. After De Boer spoke to me, I was convinced that if I regained my fitness, I could play."
