Although it’s been another underwhelming summer Mercato for Serie A clubs in general, the men and women at the Viale della Liberazione have been working overtime, as it’s turning out to be a particularly eventful summer for Inter, loaded with exciting arrivals and sorrowful departures.
But while new signings like Davide Frattesi and Marcus Thuram will insert fresh blood in the club’s veins, the Nerazzurri had to bid farewell to a host of veterans who had been the backbone of the club for years, leaving major gaps that are yet to be entirely plugged.
At this point, Simone Inzaghi’s squad has already lost the services of ten first-team players from last season. Some were sold, others saw out their contracts, and a few left due to the expiry of their loan stints.
Regardless of the reason, these departures could take their toll on Inter in the upcoming campaign. But which farewells will hurt the most from a technical standpoint? It’s time to rank the Beneamata’s departures based on their importance to the club’s cause and how difficult it would be for their successors to fill their shoes.
10. Alex Cordaz (Goalkeeper)
This is almost an honorable mention, as with all due respect to Alex Cordaz, his absence will hardly be felt on the pitch since he had hardly partaken in official matches.
Nevertheless, this is often the case with third-choice goalkeepers, and the 40-year-old was a well-respected veteran in the locker room, and his teammates will certainly miss his presence at Appiano Gentile.
To his credit, Cordaz left the club after pulling off an incredible save against Torino in the final Serie A round of last season, making it a memorable last hurrah.
9. Roberto Gagliardini (Midfielder)
This summer marked the end of one of the most disappointing long stints at Inter in recent memory. In January 2017, Roberto Gagliardini arrived at the Giuseppe Meazza as one of the most exciting up-and-coming midfielders in Italian football.
But after six and a half campaigns at the club, the 29-year-old leaves after failing to fulfill his initial promise. It wasn’t even close.
For the largest part of his spell, the Italian was reduced to a mere benchwarmer, while last season, he proved to be a liability almost every time he took the field.
The former Atalanta man will now kickstart a new adventure at Monza, so let’s hope he manages to resurrect his fading playing career in a less demanding environment.
8. Danilo D’Ambrosio (Defender)
Speaking of Monza, the Biancorossi have also snapped up another Inter player who saw out his contract following a long stint. For his part, Danilo D’Ambrosio bid the club emotional farewell, having been a loyal servant since January 2014.
The versatile defender featured in a variety of positions throughout his time with the Nerazzurri. The former Torino man was initially a wingback, but he was also deployed at fullback and centre-back.
The 34-year-old also had a knack for producing winners in decisive instants, which further endeared him to the Nerazzurri faithful.
However, his playing time had been reduced in the last couple of seasons, thus, his departure from Inter comes at the right time for the competitive warrior who’s still seeking one last adventure before he calls it a day.
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7. Raoul Bellanova (Wingback)
This summer, the general theme at Inter has been rebooting the squad by replacing aging veterans with younger alternatives. Yet, the management opted against exercising their option to buy 23-year-old Raoul Bellanova who has been replaced with 35-year-old Juan Cuadrado.
This maneuver was hardly appreciated by the average Beneamata supporter who was puzzled by the sight of the longtime Juventus veteran in Black-and-Blue stripes.
Although the former Cagliari man only served as an understudy for Denzel Dumfries, he was beginning to display encouraging signs by the end of the campaign.
In the end, Bellanova joined Torino and will be eager to prove Giuseppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio wrong.
6. Samir Handanovic (Goalkeeper)
Having joined the Nerazzurri back in 2012, Samir Handanovic was one of the longest-serving players at a Serie A club. Sadly, every story has an end, and for the Slovenian, it was a rather underwhelming finale.
The legendary club captain didn’t truly have the opportunity to greet the supporters in a proper fashion, as mystery was still engulfing his future when last season drew to an end.
But regardless of the manner, the writing was on the wall for the 38-year-old who was eclipsed by a younger goalkeeper, in the shape of André Onana, at the start of the previous campaign.
Let’s see what the future will hold for the aging custodian.
5. Edin Dzeko (Striker)
As we saw above, this list includes veterans who saw their playing time decreased in recent years. But here’s one immensely experienced player who defied father time to maintain a starting spot all the way to his final outing for the Nerazzurri.
Despite reaching the age of 37, Edin Dzeko remains an excellent striker that any manager would savor. Even though the Bosnian didn’t enjoy the most prolific campaign of his illustrious playing career, his unique craftiness and extraordinary intelligence made him a reference point for his teammates on the pitch.
The former Manchester City and Roma star joined Fenerbahce as a free agent, and he’ll be sorely missed by Inzaghi and the rest of the gang next season.
4. Romelu Lukaku (Striker)
Placing Romelu Lukaku above Dzeko may be the most debatable choice on the list. After all, the Bosnian kept the Belgian on the bench for the vast majority of the campaign, including the regretful Champions League final.
But while Dzeko has already reached the autumn of his career, Lukaku is supposedly in his peak years, at least in theory. Before the emergence of the controversial Juventus links and the major fallout that ensued, Big Rom was expected to complete a permanent return to Appiano Gentile and spearhead the club’s charge for years to come.
In reality, the former Everton and Manchester United star hasn’t been in his optimal physical condition for the last couple of years, which inevitably translated to lackluster displays and goal droughts.
Nevertheless, Lukaku was displaying signs of a genuine revival towards the end of last season, and his late charge reignited Inter’s Top-Four hopes that were rapidly fading back in April.
Therefore, the club might dearly miss the big striker who, not so long ago, used to terrorize Serie A defenses and collect MVP awards.
3. Marcelo Brozovic (Regista)
During Antonio Conte’s reign at Inter, Marcelo Brozovic was, hands down, the best deep-lying playmaker in Italian football. With the ball at his feet, the man was simply a joy to watch.
Sadly for the Croatian, injuries derailed his momentum in the last two seasons. Yet, he still showcased his unique skill set every time he graced the pitch.
This summer, the 30-year-old ended his long collaboration with the Italian giants, succumbing to the riches of the Saudi Pro League. He’s now plying his trade alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.
As for Inter, they already signed an excellent box-to-box midfielder in Davide Frattesi while Lazar Samardzic is also on his way towards San Siro. Nevertheless, Inzaghi will be mostly relying on Hakan Calhanoglu who’ll have to emulate the departed Croatian in the Regista role.
The Turkish midfielder has some major shoes to fill, but he had already inherited this role when Brozovic was injured last season and made the most out of it.
So if it wasn’t for Hakan’s prowess and ability to interpret the deep-lying midfielder role, Brozo may have landed on top of the list.
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2. Milan Skriniar (Defender)
Last summer, Paris Saint-Germain put a whopping 60 million euros on the table for Milan Skriniar, even though his contract was due to expire in less than 12 months.
In what was arguably the biggest blunder in Marotta’s tenure at the club, the Nerazzurri stubbornly rejected the offer, holding out for a larger fee. Fast forward to the summer of 2023, PSG finally have their man, signing him on a free transfer, leaving Inter to rue their misjudgment.
Now surely Inter acted as their own worst enemy in this whole debacle, but it also proves how highly esteemed the defender was at the club prior to his unceremonious departure.
To make matters even worse, the Slovakian spent the bulk of the second half of the season on the treatment table. But at least his injury allowed Inzaghi to get a taste of life without his star defender.
But even though the reliable Matteo Darmian rose to the occasion, losing the services of a top-notch defender who’s at the peak of his powers remains a crucial blow for the Nerazzurri, and finding a competent replacement is proving to be a daunting task.
1. André Onana (Goalkeeper)
While the likes of Brozovic and Skriniar are longtime servers of the cause, André Onana tops the list despite only arriving at the club last summer; Such was the immense impact that the former Ajax man had at the Giuseppe Meazza.
The 27-year-old usurped the club’s long-serving captain Samir Handanovic to become Inzaghi’s ultimate first choice… And he never looked back. The Cameroonian conquered the hearts of the Beneamata supporters, rapidly becoming an idol at the club.
Sadly for Calcio, resisting large sums of cash from beyond the English channel is becoming an increasingly challenging task for Italian clubs, big and small. Therefore, Inter succumbed to Manchester United’s pressure, selling the brilliant shot-stopper for a lavish amount of money.
This operation certainly boosts the club’s coffers, having registered major capital gains from a player who arrived a year ago as a free agent. However, filling Onana’s gloves remains a tough task, even for a vastly experienced veteran like Yann Sommer.
The Cameroonian didn’t only produce jaw-dropping saves, but also helped in the play buildup, picking up teammates in the middle of the park with his stunning vision.
So tactically speaking, Onana’s departure is arguably the biggest blow for Inzaghi and Inter this summer.
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