Inter Milan: Is there really a plan for the future?

For a long time now there has been a lot of talk about a rebuilding process at Inter. Taking out the older veteran players and bringing in fresh young talent who would bring success to Inter in the years to come. Also while doing this cutting down the mountain of wages Inter were paying out and bringing in players on lower wages but who were of equal quality and could bring success in the future. However we are still talking about that to this day and I’m now wondering is this process of rebuilding actually going to happen? After numerous poor mercato’s and ridiculous transfer dealings it is almost as if we are going backwards and not forwards.

Poor Transfer Dealings

Part of the problem is the poor transfer dealing’s of Inter in the last few years. One simple problem is that we let go of players of high quality and bring in average players who are simply not good enough to fill the void left by the previous player. Transfers such as Diego Forlan who was brought in to replace Samuel Eto’o who had just had a fantastic season Scoring 37 goals and contributing 15 assists in all competitions. On top of this fantastic record he was our most influential player that season and he dragged us through many games in which we were struggling. Then for some baffling reason we decide to sell him and bring in Diego Forlan who was coming towards the end of his career and his best years were passed him. Also when looking for a replacement we should have been looking for a younger replacement who could play for many years to come and was of similar quality. We can’t expect to compete at the top-level when we sell our best players and replace them with mediocrity.

We have also especially in this mercato been very weak in closing out deals which looked a certainty. Players such as Isla who Inter could have dearly used, with the imminent departure of Maicon. Isla even admitted he would have liked to play for the nerazzurri and it looked almost certain if Inter really wanted the transfer to happen the deal would go through. However Inter didn’t close the deal quick enough and Juventus snapped him up and Inter will now probably have to settle for second best again. We have also lost out on transfer’s such as Lavezzi who would have been a great addition to the squad and could have brought something Inter have been missing recently. Even more recently Giovinco who has now completed his transfer to Juventus after they bought his other half. This is a worrying trend and if something is not done soon and we don’t sort out our transfer strategy we will continue to struggle and we will continue to lose the best players out their and we will have to settle for players not of the quality we want and that and as a result we will struggle to compete even for a champions league spot never mind winning the Scudetto.

Part of the problem in my opinion is Marco Branca who is the head of our transfer dealings. He is not good enough for us and has made some ridiculous decisions regarding our signings and has not been efficient with his money. His eye for a player is simply average and he seems incapable of closing out deals which should be no problem. Inter need to bring in someone with good experience who has a good track record of bringing in good players for a good price and has a good knowledge of the market. In the past we have been linked to people such as Leonardo who I believe would be a good appointment but he is one of many options. Not to say it is all Brancas fault he is just part of the problem and Moratti needs to sort it out soon so we can get back to the peak of domestic and European football where we belong.

What Inter Need To Get Back To The Summit Of European Football

It is not all bad though I believe we have the perfect man in Andrea Stramaccioni to carry out this rebuilding process. I believe Stramaccioni with the right additions to the squad can lead Inter to at least a champions league spot next season and can build on it again in the seasons after and mount a Scudetto challenge and possibly even win the Scudetto in the near future. However this will all depend on Inters capability to bring in the quality players needed in the correct positions especially the defence which needs major renovation. Who Inter should bring in:

Matias Silvestre - This is a player that has been heavily linked to Inter and with recent developments it is looking like he is edging ever closer to becoming an Inter player next season. The centre back position is where Inter need the most work and this would be a good addition to the team and would help solve this problem. This alone would not solve the defensive problems a lot of work is needed on the structure and shape of the defence but along with other defensive signings it would contribute. It seems this deal will be done for around 8-10 million.

Mehdi Benatia - Inters interest in the young Udinese centre back seems to have died down but I personally believe Inter should reignite their interest in him as he is a promising prospect. At most Samuel has two more seasons left in him and when he goes Benatia would be a fitting replacement and him and Silvestre could forge a solid partnership which could guide Inter to future glory. Inter will face stiff competition as Man United have shown interest among other clubs. It would be a hefty investment at around 15-18 million but it would be a long-term investment and a worthy one.

Mathieu Debuchy - Originally I would have liked Isla as Maicons successor as it is looking more and more likely Maicon will be leaving after six tremendous year’s with the Nerazzurri. After losing out on Isla, Debuchy looks like a good alternative but will face fierce competition as he is sought after by many other team’s such as Newcastle who already had a bid rejected. Even though Lille say he is not for sale a bid of 10 million plus could see him go.

Nigel De Jong - It was very evident since the departure of Thiago Motta Inter have missed a holding midfielder to shield the shaky back four. There was also talk of M’villa from Rennes who is certainly a talent but he looks destined for Arsenal and is out of Inters budget. De Jong would be a good cheaper alternative with good experience at the top-level. He would do all the donkey work and would be a good shield for protecting the back four and would allow another more extravagant midfielder to go and play their game with more freedom and help support the attack. However a stumbling block may be no champions league football.

Nuri Sahin - After an injury struck first season and very little playing time with the Spanish champions it seems Sahin might be on the move. With Madrid’s interest in Maicon and the fact the two players are both valued at around 10 million a swap could be on the cards. Sahin would be a great partner in midfield for De Jong or a similar type player. Even though he had a tough first season in the Spanish capital if he could get back to full fitness and could replicate anywhere near the form he showed in his Dortmund day’s he could be a valuable asset to the nerazzurri.

Mattia Destro - He is one of the hottest prospects on the Italian scene right now and had an impressive season with Siena scoring 12 goals. Inter will face tough competition from Juve and Roma, especially with recent developments and Siena buying half of Destro from Geona and an apparent pact with Juve. There is still a strong possibility of Inter buying the Inter youth product. He wouldn’t be a starter but would be good to bring on if you need a goal and when ‘El Principe’ leaves he could fill his boots. It will certainly be tough and it seems for full ownership it would cost 10-13 million.

Gaston Ramirez - After losing out on Lavezzi and Giovinco, Ramirez would be a good option. He could play in the whole behind the striker but I also believe he could play on the wing if needed and could drift in and link up with the other front players. He has good pace and his close control and dribbling would make him a great signing for Inter. Like all other players he has many other admirers from abroad but with Bolognas interest in Juan Jesus this could help tip the deal in Inters favour however Bologna would want a lot for the young Uruguayan approximately a fee of 18 million plus.

Of course Inter would need to sell to bring in players and also continue to work on cutting down the wages paid and cutting down the average age of the squad.

Who Inter should sell:

Giampaolo Pazzini - After an impressive start to his Nerazzurri career the goals seemed to have dried up. It looked as if he would be one of the top scorer’s last season but he didn’t get much playing time and struggled to get any consistency and it is time for Inter to get rid of him and reinvest the money somewhere else. He would also free up wages and is a high earner at about 2.5 million a season. The money should be reinvested in someone like Destro who is a better player and would also cut the wage bill which is essential to keep up with UEFA financial fair play.

Diego Forlan – After a disastrous debut season he must be one of the first players out the door. To begin with he shouldn’t even have been signed as his best days were behind him and he wasn’t getting any younger. Even if we don’t get a lot of money for him he we would again be saving on high wages and reducing the average age of the squad.

Lucio - This is a given and it is almost certain that he will leave at some point with Fenerbache his most likely destination. He was a fantastic servant for Inter but last season he was starting to lose his pace and making costly mistakes too often for such an experienced defender.

Maicon - This also looks like a certainty with clubs such as Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid in for his signature. He was once the best right back in the world but now it seems age has caught up with him or he has just been at Inter too long now but he is no longer the same player and has lost most of his pace which is essential to his game. It seems Inter will be willing to sell for a fee in the region of 10 Million with the Bernabeu his most likely destination.

Dejan Stankovic - ‘Il Drago’ has been a faithful servant to the nerazzurri but is getting older and is no longer at his best and struggles with injuries. He also falls into the category of being too old and on big wages. However he still has a contract until 2014 which may prevent this as clubs may not want to pay out his contract.

Formations And How Inter could Line up

It is still not completely clear what formation Stramaccioni will use next season. There has been talk of a 4-2-3-1 which I believe is the best option with the right players such as the one’s named earlier (or similar player’s) however it all depends on the player’s brought in and playing to their strengths and getting the most out them. Also since Strama came in he originally used a 4-3-3 and he has publicly said that he believes it is the best way to cover the pitch so this is another option. He then also towards the end of the season flirted with a 4-3-2-1 which was relatively successful. As I said but this is all in a treacle as it just depends on the players Inter bring in as that will dictate the formation played and the style of play, however no matter what i believe Inter will play an attacking free-flowing game as it seems Strama seems to like to play an attractive, attacking style of play.

Possible Inter Line Up Next Season:

GK- Handanovic

RB- Debuchy, CB- Samuel, CB- Silvestre, LB- Zanetti (Kolarov)

CM- De Jong, CM- Guarin (Sahin)

RW Alvarev (Ramirez) CAM- Sneijder LW- Coutinh0 (Affelay)

ST- Milito (Destro)

This is just a possible line up for Inter as they have been linked to many of these players and it may turn out to be completely different. I certainly hope it turns out similar to this for the good of the club. I just hope Moratti and co do their job well and don’t have another poor Mercato as it could be catastrophic and could result in similar performances as the last few seasons. Let’s just hope Inter have learnt their lesson this time.

On another positive note it looks as if a new stadium could be on the way in the next few years and could be ready for around 2016. This is something Inter and Italy in general have been screaming out for in recent years. A new stadium would mean increased gate receipts and more money for Inter to spend. This is because all the money that is brought in is ours to spend unlike the Meazza is owned by the council and we have to pay a lot of money to use it. This will obviously take a long time but it is key to our progress and will have a long-term effect in terms of keeping up with ffp and also how much money we can spend and keeping up with other major european clubs.

Inter must learn from the mistake’s they have made over the last few years and must now have a perfect summer. They seem to have made the correct managerial appointment in Stramaccioni who hopefully even if they have a slow start Moratti will keep his patience and not fire him as he tends to do. However I am still concerned about the mercato. Branca still worries me and he either must be fired or have a perfect summer and bring in the correct player’s and let go the correct players or we will be back to square one again and this whole ‘rebuilding process’ will all be pointless. Let’s hope that it all turns out well and I turn out to be wrong. No matter what I will still be sitting around the tv on the first day of the season supporting our beloved Nerazzurri.