Inter, from Lukaku to Brozovic: the revolution has already started

It’s not just Simone Inzaghi, the magnifying glass frames several faces. And he keeps many players inside: nine defeats out of 27 matches are enough for question marks to spread. All of Inter are under scrutiny. For the results that will materially arrive at the end of the season. But above all for what has already happened.

Under the lens

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It is as if a working group has betrayed expectations, on a plan that is difficult to improve and is a commandment for a team that wants to be great: continuity of performance, the ability to keep the tension high between one commitment and another . Here the players have failed. And so there are 11 who today should be considered much more outside than inside tomorrow’s Inter. And at the heart of the considerations, there is also a personal issue: against Juventus, over the course of 90 minutes, Inzaghi fielded eight players over the age of 30. There is therefore enough to imagine and plan a profound change in the squad.

On sale

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One point must be clear: revolutions need money. To change 11 players out of an entire squad you need a creative market, you also need to reinvest the money from transfers. Because if it is true that Zhang’s company is already looking for zero parameters of luxury and will do the same later with loans, it is unthinkable that everything can follow this line. That’s why it will be necessary to get the most out of three players who should be considered outgoing: Brozovic, Dumfries and Correa. A very complicated undertaking for the latter: his future in the Nerazzurri is marked, he has disappointed the club also due to the type of investment made, or 31 million. But he will be placed on loan, presumably overseas. Everything to write what will happen with Brozovic and Dumfries. With Juve, the Croatian showed how far he is from the heart of Inter today. But due to age and salary, it will be difficult to find a buyer. Dumfries also deserves a separate chapter: during the World Cup Inter had come to value him at 60 million. Today thinking about that figure makes no sense: the valuation has collapsed, as has its yield. What if no one had to guarantee a substantial income? It cannot be ruled out that Inter will be able to resist the onslaught of a big name.

Expiring

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Then there are six players, out of the 11 that we have identified on the way out, who are just about to expire. Only for two of these have Inter entered into concrete renewal negotiations: Dzeko and De Vrij. But today the chances of permanence for both are reduced. Even more for the defender: he has lost his starting position, but has a big salary, 4.5 million. No longer sustainable for the Nerazzurri coffers. And in fact Marotta and Ausilio have an agreement in mind for much smaller figures: the parties are at a standstill, De Vrij himself is looking around. As well as Dzeko is doing. Who already has an offer from Inter on the table, but he doesn’t meet the requests from him. The Bosnian wants a two-year contract, Zhang’s club offers a one-year contract, with an option at most. And pay attention to the possibility that Dzeko opts for an experience abroad to end his career.

Borrowed

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Two players on loan, Lukaku and Bellanova must also be included in the account. There would be three, actually. There is also Acerbi who needs to be redeemed, but here the signs are positive, the club is determined in this sense. There is no determination, on the contrary, about Bellanova. The winger will return to Cagliari, despite the three million euros already invested last summer. The move to Milan didn’t work, he never convinced Inzaghi to give him a chance with continuity and something must mean: when Dumfries went into crisis in the department, the coach didn’t hesitate for a moment to bet on Darmian. On Lukaku the discussion is more complex. And if Marotta’s words are obvious, linked to the formula of the operation (“He will return to Chelsea at the end of the year”), the reality that the attacker’s performance is not in any way pushing Zhang’s club to move to renew the loan . A season of Romelu cost 20 million gross: it is impossible to think of an extension, if these are the economic conditions and if this will continue to be the Belgian’s weight on the Nerazzurri season. There is still room to reverse course, of course. But not too much. The distance between what he was called to do and what he actually proved is too wide. And it’s not just the fault of the injuries, which also affected him. The magnifier is operational. Spare no one.