Inter Milan in confusion ahead of the season opener

18/08/2025 16:18:00 soccer

Inter overcame Olympiacos 2-0 in their last friendly before officially entering the 2025-26 season, showing positive signs, but this victory hasn't dispelled worries as a highly anticipated transfer window may end in disappointment and uncertainty.

The Nerazzurri approached the 2025 summer transfer market with confidence and planning, quickly securing young prospects Petar Sucic and Luis Henrique ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup. Optimism grew, fueled by hopes that last season’s impressive Champions League earnings would help the club evolve and revamp an aging squad from Simone Inzaghi’s tenure.

From “green revolution” to harmful stagnation

For the first time in years, Inter avoided chasing cheap or free veterans, creating excitement about a younger, stronger, and more ambitious team led by the youthful and driven Cristian Chivu. However, that initial enthusiasm has faded. Over the past two months, Inter have only signed one new player—young striker Ange-Yoan Bonny—while all other negotiations have stalled or failed.

The pursuit of top target Ademola Lookman has dragged on with no progress. Attempts to sign midfielder Manu Kone from AS Roma collapsed almost instantly when Roma refused to negotiate, despite Inter’s willingness to pay €40 million. Meanwhile, long-term targets like Koni De Winter and Giovanni Leoni have already moved elsewhere after Milan and Liverpool intervened swiftly and decisively. Inter’s earlier proactive and decisive approach has completely vanished, replaced by passivity and deadlock.

The underlying cause of this stagnation is that Inter remain trapped by their “sell before buying” policy. In theory, they have funds, but in practice, an inflated wage bill and financial regulations limit their spending. Offloading surplus players has proven equally difficult, seriously hindering their rebuilding plans. Kristjan Asllani, Mehdi Taremi, Yann Bisseck, Piotr Zielinski, and World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard are all listed for transfer but have yet to find new clubs. Asllani keeps refusing moves to less prominent teams, while the wages of Taremi, Pavard, and Zielinski are considered too high for their abilities, creating a major obstacle for potential buyers.

Inter’s dress rehearsal was promising, but their real challenges lie off the pitch.

Anxiety over the risk of the plan collapsing

The decision to invest the money set aside for Lookman into a defensive midfielder—Manu Kone (who was rejected)—suggests Inter have shifted their strategy to focus on defense rather than attack. In reality, the defensive issues are “clear as day:” their defenders are aging rapidly. Francesco Acerbi and Matteo Darmian are both 37, Stefan De Vrij is 33—players nobody wants to buy. If Inter want funds to revamp their defense, they can only sell younger assets like Bisseck (24) and Pavard (29). It’s a bitter irony, but Inter have very few options.

Inter’s management clearly understands the urgency of strengthening their defense. In seven matches under new coach Cristian Chivu (including Club World Cup and friendlies), they’ve conceded nine goals—a concerning figure. Lookman is no longer an absolute priority, as Inter must now focus on signing a defensive midfielder (now targeting Morten Frendrup of Genoa after missing out on Kone) and a center-back (Oumar Solet of Udinese is now in their sights).

Having started with a clear youth-focused strategy, Inter now seem seriously adrift as the summer window nears its end. Time pressure could easily lead to rushed, poor decisions, or worse, derail the entire plan that was so full of promise. Even if they manage to sign the players they need, coach Chivu will need additional time to rebuild, while the new season officially begins this weekend with a home opener against Torino.

A positive dress rehearsal

Inter’s final warm-up was quite successful, beating Olympiacos 2-0 in Bari. In this match, coach Cristian Chivu tested what is likely his strongest lineup, expected to start against Torino in the Serie A opener on August 25. Inter’s goals were scored by Federico Dimarco and Marcus Thuram after sharp team moves.

Tactically, Chivu made key experiments to prepare for Hakan Calhanoglu’s suspension in the first round. New signing Petar Sucic was trusted with the “regista” role in the first half and performed well. In the second half, Nicolò Barella was moved into that position, showing Chivu’s desire for more flexible midfield solutions. Overall, despite the opposition’s physical play, Inter displayed coherent football and created many chances, offering encouraging signs ahead of a challenging season.

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