Due to a looming financial crisis, defending Serie A champions Inter Milan are now in a state of flux and it’s expected that they won’t look the same in the upcoming 2021/22 season.
Inter Milan owners, Suning, have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic this past year and the uncertainty shrouding over the club has started a mini diaspora these past few weeks.
The club reportedly asked for their players and coaches to take paycuts due to financial constraints and that doesn’t sit well for them considering they’re coming off of a title year.
After defying the Serie A 2021 odds to lead the Nerazzurri to its first Scudetto in 11 years, Antonio Conte was the first domino to fall as he left the team by mutual consent.
He was eventually replaced with Simone Inzaghi who signed a two-year deal after spending five seasons with Lazio.
A big offseason awaits the Nerazzurri, and today at SBOTOP we’ll take a look at the latest Serie A 2021 updates.
Hakan Calhanoglu will bolster Inter Milan’s vaunted offence
Signing Hakan Calhanoglu via a free transfer is a shrewd move by the Nerazzurri considering their financial woes.
Not only did they get a quality footballer who’s already used to the intense Serie A competition, but they were also able to pry away one of their city rivals’ best players.
According to insider Gianluca di Marzio, Calhanoglu is about to sign a $5.9-M/year deal which includes an additional perfomance bonus of $1.2-M.
After three seasons with Bayer Leverkusen, Calhanoglu spent the next four seasons playing for AC Milan but it wasn’t until the 2020 season to where he emerged as a star.
In that year, the Turkish international notched nine goals and nine assists. And in the 2020/21 season, he listed four goals and 10 assists and played a huge role in helping AC Milan secure their qualification to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2014.
Prior to his decision of joining Inter Milan, the 27-year-old has been linked to some of the biggest clubs in Europe such as Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus.
Calhanoglu is versatile enough to play multiple positions either as a forward or as an attacking midfielder, but he is likely to play the latter considering Christian Eriksen’s health scare that occurred during the recently-concluded Euro 2020.
Inter Milan eyeing new full-back and midfield options
The Nerazzurri will look to strengthen their depth and their two main areas of concern will be at the full-back and at the midfield.
Ashley Young and Achraf Hakimi have departed from the squad after signing with Aston Villa and PSG respectively, which leaves a gaping hole to their wide defence.
On the other hand, Inter Milan are fielding offers for Nicolo Barella particularly from Barcelona and Liverpool but Inter Milan won’t let him go unless they’ll get a substantial offer.
To address their depth, Inter Milan are reportedly looking at several options in the Premier League.
Chelsea are expected to offload their surplus players as they plan to raise additional funds for a possible heist on Erling Haaland.
As per sources in Italy, Inter Milan are reportedly interested in Italian stalwarts Emerson and Davide Zappacosta, as well as Spanish international Marcos Alonso.
Meanwhile, Hector Bellerin is likely to leave Arsenal this summer and he has listed Inter Milan as one of his preferred destinations despite being linked to PSG and Atletico Madrid earlier.
Mateo Kovacic is also linked with a possible return to San Siro, while Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek is also an alternative.
Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez won’t be sold for cheap
Despite being two of the club’s most important players, Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez’s long-term future with Inter Milan remains unclear.
Romelu Lukaku has been eyed by Chelsea as a possible Erling Haaland alternative and he is also being targeted by defending Premier League titlists Manchester City.
The 28-year-old striker is a hot commodity since he racked up 30 goals and 10 assists for the Nerazzurri this season and he is already familiar with the English style of football.
Inter Milan are expected to listen offers for the Belgian international’s services but they’ve revealed that they’ll demand no less than $120-M. Lukaku’s current contract runs up until 2024.
As for Lautaro Martinez, he would prefer to stay with Inter Milan via a long-term extension. However, the Nerazzurri appear to be hesitant on inking such deal since his transfer value is estimated at $106-M.
Martinez is currently linked to Real and Atletico Madrid. Barcelona were one of his well-known suitors before but now they’re out due to their own tough financial situation.
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