Between an underwhelming start of the domestic season and a successful Champions League group stage campaign, the first part of the season proved to be a mixed bag for Inter and their manager Simone Inzaghi who came under heavy fire at one point. While his European exploits (qualifying to the knockout stages at Barcelona’s expense) allowed the former Lazio coach to steady the ship, the Nerazzurri currently sit 5th in the Serie A standings, with 11 points separating them from runaway leaders, Napoli.
Last term, Inzaghi added two titles to the black and blue trophy cabinet, but the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup hardly made up for the Scudetto disappointment, as Inter were uncrowned by their crosstown rivals Milan in a razor-tight finale. But would the 46-year-old survive another disenchanting campaign?
Perhaps not, which is why the younger Inzaghi brother will be desperate to find timely new gifts in his Christmas box, as it would bolster his chances of delivering a spectacular second half. So let’s take a look at three positions that Inter must address during the upcoming January transfer session.
Centre-Back
On paper, the Beneamata possess one of the best defensive departments in Italy, if not the ultimate best. But with 22 goals conceded in the first 15 Serie A outings, the club has the 7th worst defense in the league, on par with Sassuolo and Monza. And as they say, it’s often the best backline that wins the Scudetto, so it’s easy to understand why this particular stat is problematic for Inter, to say the least.
In Inzaghi’s untouchable 3-5-2 formation, Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni often make up the back-three, while Francesco Acerbi has been acting as a competent alternative since his summer transfer from Lazio. But when it comes to the rest of the department, the options are far less inspiring. Danilo D’Ambrosio has regressed into a forgotten figure who dwells on the bench, while 19-year-old Alessandro Fontanarosa is yet to prove himself on the senior level despite his undoubted promise.
However, the Nerazzurri’s headaches run beyond their lack of depth. For instance, de Vrij’s form has been on the decline for the past 18 months, while Skriniar is yet to renew his expiring contact, rendering his potential departure more than a mere possibility.
Therefore, Inter would do well to sign a reliable defender who can truly strengthen this department – someone whose experience would enable him to settle in swiftly in the middle of the campaign, but at the same time young enough to act as a pillar at the Giuseppe Meazza for years to come.
If we’re going to pick someone who ticks all the boxes, then it has to be Nikola Milenkovic. After renewing his contract with Fiorentina until 2027 earlier this year, the extravaganza number of circulating rumors have vanished. However, the Serbian’s extension might not exactly spell the end of his exit hopes, but it could be an insurance policy from the Viola to reserve themselves a decent fee from his sale. Will it be feasible in the middle of the campaign? We can only wait and see.
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Central Midfielder
Similarly to the backline, Inzaghi has a well-established automatic starting trio in Nicolò Barella, Marcelo Brozovic and Hakan Calhanoglu, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined the team last summer to act as a glorified backup. On the other hand, Roberto Gagliardini remains a mere depth option who adds muscles and experience whenever needed, while Kristjan Asllani was surely hoping to receive more playing time during his first few months at Appiano Gentile.
It’s the Albanian’s future that concerns us the most. At the age of 20, the former Empoli man has all the makings to become a superb Regista and fill Brozovic’s boots in the future. But based on the manager’s recent selections during the first part of the campaign, the young man’s time is yet to come, as even during the Croatian’s absence, Inzaghi opted to deploy Calhanoglu as a deep-lying playmaker instead of Asllani. Hence, the club should consider sending the 20-year-old on loan which would allow him to gain some vital Serie A experience instead of warming the bench at Inter.
On the other hand, the Nerazzurri should replace him with another midfielder who can add both quality and depth to the department. The Milan-based giants have been linked with two World Cup revelations in Valencia’s Yunus Musah and Angers’ Azzedine Ounahi. While they’re both young, they have collected enough appearances between club and country which would allow them to contribute to Inter’s cause.
Naturally, the price tag and the stern competition remain the two major obstacles, but if Inter were to sell a major star – as some observers are speculating – it might allow them to spend the cash on one of the two aforementioned midfielders.
Striker
Admittedly, a new striker isn’t exactly an urgent need for Inter, but rather a luxurious gift that would surely please Inzaghi. At the moment, the Nerazzurri possess a formidable striking power in the form of Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko, Romelu Lukaku and Joaquin Correa. So why would the manager desire an additional forward?
Well, let’s begin with the Belgian giant who’s yet to put together a run of matches since making his spectacular return in the summer due to recurring injuries. Moreover, the 29-year-old has been low on confidence since leaving Milano in the summer of 2021, so it remains to be seen if Big Rom can pick up his form and keep himself fit before his loan stint expires.
For his part, Correa has been plagued with several knocks himself, including one that prevented him from joining the Argentina squad for the World Cup, which ultimately cost him the chance of lifting the iconic golden trophy. On the contrary, Lautaro managed to make the trip to Qatar, but hardly impressed for the Albiceleste. His string of misses are surely a cause of concern for Inter, as we’re talking about their most devastating attacker in the last year and a half. So is Martinez suffering from exhaustion due to the grueling schedule?
Thus, an extra option upfront could be useful for Inter, but the management is unlikely to spend on a luxury profile, unless they can snatch the services of the soon-to-be free agent Marcus Thuram by convincing Borussia Monchengladbach to sell him for a cut price. Signing the World Cup finalist in January won’t be an easy task, but what’s life without ambition?
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