Despite the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi last summer, Inter managed to steady the ship and somewhat maintain the core of the Scudetto-winning squad from the previous campaign. Nevertheless, replacing the two stars wasn’t an easy task for Giuseppe Marotta and the slight dip in quality was all that Milan needed to eclipse their crosstown rivals and crown themselves champions. Therefore, the Nerazzurri need to deliver a strong transfer market, but first, they must chop the deadwood from Simone Inzaghi’s squad. So here are four players who need to leave Inter this summer.
Note: As mentioned by the Cult of Calcio’s Transfer Market Tracker, Ivan Perisic, Andrea Ranocchia and Matias Vecino have already left after seeing out their contracts, so they won’t be added to the list.
Ionut Radu (Goalkeeper)
We begin with a rather too-obvious choice. Throughout the course of the season, Ionut Radu featured in a single Serie A fixture. Yet, his “contribution” was enough to wreck the whole season and paint himself as the ultimate culprit in the ill-fated title defense campaign.
Perhaps the manager should take a part of the blame for keeping the young goalkeeper on the bench for an entire season before thrusting him in a crucial fixture, but regardless of Inzaghi’s role in the whole Bologna debacle, the Romanian will never be able to lift the stain off his reputation among Inter supporters, and the most logical option for him at the moment is to leave and start from scratch somewhere else (ideally as far from the Guiseppe Meazza as possible).
Moreover, André Onana’s arrival will prompt an interesting duel between the newcomer and captain Samir Handanovic, while Radu won’t have any business in the whole matter.
Arturo Vidal (Central Midfielder)
For the second season in a row, Arturo Vidal made a promising start before slowly fading in the shadow. After spending his career engaging in never-ending battles on the pitch, his playing style has took its toll on his body, and the veteran’s best days are now far behind him.
Therefore, Inter must find Vidal a new home rather than allow him to linger for another season (his contract expires in 2023), as his wages are particularly high for a player who rarely starts matches and isn’t exactly one of the club’s pillars.
Alexis Sanchez (Second Striker)
Almost everything said about Vidal is also applicable to his compatriot. Alexis Sanchez is another Chilean veteran who’s on the decline, struggling for playing time but still has a lucrative contract for another season.
Admittedly, the former Barcelona and Arsenal man made himself slightly more useful than Vidal during the season, producing five Serie A goals and three assists, as well as the famous last-gasp winner against Juventus in the Italian Super Cup. Yet, the writing is on the wall for the forward, who must now leave to free up some space for younger newcomers.
Edin Dzeko (Center Forward)
When Lukaku left last summer, signing Edin Dzeko was in hindsight a wise choice in for Inter. The Nerazzurri needed a quick-fix amidst their financial difficulties, and the former Roma man was handed a two-year contract which included hefty wages.
Although he didn’t embarrass himself with the Beneamata, the Bosnian was a far cry from his Belgian predecessor, and at 36, father time is beginning to catch up with the bomber whose form regressed in the latter stages of the campaign.
The vastly-experienced striker was a decent stopgap this term, but Inter must find a younger and more dynamic alternative if they want to challenge for the highest honors next season, and Dzeko’s lucrative wages suggest that the club can’t afford to maintain him as a luxurious backup.