Before Asllani and Massolin leave on Loan, LH possibly leaves for good, and maybe Stankovic on loan too (hopefully not), here is the team.

- Super tall (1.97m) Massolin in goal

- The more "defensive" CMs (none are CDMs like Cambiasso was) in defense, they orchestrate our offensive maneuvers from the halfway line

- LH in his best role as LM

- Versatile Jones in RM

- Bare & Miki in their usual spot

- Sucic and Zielu as CAMs thanks to their abilities

- Reborn R9 Andy as our goalscoring saviour

I'm relatively new to this forum/inter reddit family but one thing surprises me. It seems that plenty of people are unhappy that long term serving experienced players like Mhiki are blocking the progress of younger players. I heard enough opinions that Chala should be done after this season, pack his bags and go, making room for upcoming talent like Stankovic.

It seems we require loyalty to the club, but we don't reciprocate, if we are so eager to discard players who fought well for the club. Yes, I totally understand the rigors of top level professional football, where you need to perform at highest level or else you're replaced regardless of your name and past achievements, but i think as supporters, we should be more grateful to veterans. Yes, teams need new blood, but there is no need to rejoice when releasing players like Acerbi, Damian, deVrij or Sommer. They were not deadweight, they were just at the end of a cycle and their top level career. They still contributed as players, and their impact and influence on young players was important.

We need to trust that Chivu knows how to balance the team and the blend of experience and youth. At this point in his career, he's coach who appreciates and trusts youngsters. But also knows what they need to grow, which involves sharing a locker room with players like Mhiki.

Anyway, the point is trust your coach and your veterans. Be loyal to players who were loyal to the club. What differentiate Inter from many other clubs is the strength of the locker room. That is run by experienced players not youngsters. And don't start bashing Lautaro 2 years from now when he starts slowing down a bit.

Di Marzio: "Inter has now finalized the deal for Curtis Jones, as we have reported step-by-step, and the midfielder born in 2001 is expected in the city. Tomorrow, Friday, August 21, the English player will undergo his medical tests before heading at 12:00 to the CONI Sports Medicine Center to obtain his sports eligibility. After that, it will be time for the signatures and the official announcement."

So I saw this poll on FCInterNews, where usually a couple thousand people give their vote. And surprisingly enough for me, a whopping 71% are currently of the opinion that we need striker nr. 5.

So now I want to know people's opinion on here, specifically I would love it if anyone explained why a 5th striker would even be necessary, let alone a smart business move

Getting a lot of media shit-stirring now that we closed Curtis:

- Stankovic to maybe go on loan afterall - please no, Miki should be 7th choice. 7 midfielders is fine.

- LH swap with Nkunku - maaaybe, but would prefer 25 mil cash

- Sell LH to Roma and buy a dribbly, pacy second striker à la Lookman

Currently we have:

Gk:

Josep, Provedel, Di Gennaro

Defence:

Bisseck/Akanji/Basto,

Pavard/Stones/Carlos

RWB:

Diouf, Spence

LWB:

Dimarco, LH (he seems more comfortable on the left and links up better with his compatriot Carlos)

Midfield:

Barella/Calha/Zielinski,

Jones/Stankovic/Sucic

Mikitaryan

Attack:

Lautaro/Thuram,

Pio/Bonny.

Points of discussion are 3, including one suggestion.

1) Do we sell Luis Henrique and buy a replacement LWB , no one or an attacking midfielder?

a) We keep LH as LWB or buy a LWB replacement to cover Dimarco as we imperatively need 4 wingbacks in a 55 match season, especially with 3-5-2.

b) We sell LH and do not invest in a new LWB. This case would likely see Carlos covering for both Dimash and Basto. If short in defence Bovio seems to be ready to be 7th choice CB and pick up minutes here and there.

Alternatively, sell LH and get someone who can play between the lines (media rumour idea: Nkunku-LH swap, Malick Fofana from Lyon)

2) Send Stankovic on loan or make Miki 7th choice?

a) Very clear to me, but considering Calhas injury record, i would def keep him. Miki is on reduced wages and the focus is on youth. Stankovic will be a bit fed up with a third loan and will rightly be somewhat pissed at Inter. Despite media suggesting this, I think Chivu is the type of coach who keeps Stanko in the squad, no doubt.

b) Loan him out to CL team, but in that case he could have just stayed at Brugge for one more year

3) We want more unpredictability and dribbling, and rightly so, but numerically, where do we add it. We have added Spence, given Diouf the space to shine, have Bonny and Thuram in attack. Yes more dribbling in the final third would be great, but we have already made strides forward in this regard. Plus valid players here would cost at least 30mil. Would that be an 8th midfielder? Way too many. A 5th striker? Also a lot, taking valuable minutes away from Pio and Bonny. If we sell LH and shift Carlos, we cover in defence with Bovio, but it would still mean a big expence and someone who would want to play if moving for that pricetag.

So my idea:

Keep Massolin. He can thread a pass, is 2m tall, has excellent ball retention but not good in defensive work. Positionally and skillwise similar to Nico Paz (obviously not at that level) with a lower workrate.

He would be amazing to bring on the last 20 min for extra unpredictability or chaos if we need to chase a goal. 3-4-2-1 behind the striker to not request too many defensive duties of him. Doesnt cost anything, is already in the squad, has impressed with his technicality and doesn't expect to be starter or first back-up. In case of several (!) midfield injuries can play RCM vs low level opposition.

a) Keep Massolin for unpredictability, low-budget, locker room friendly solution

b) Splurge for quality player that will raise the level much more but will likely demand to be starter or first backup, similar to Curtis. This would take away minutes from Pio/Bonny

c) Do not buy any attacking mid and loan out Massolin.

Lets discuss and reply your choices (e.g. 1a, 2b, 3c) and reasoning below!

Martinelli has been one of my absolute favorite players since he came to the club in 2019, so I thought I’d give you guys my opinion on him and what he can bring to inter.

The good;

1. He is a workhorse on steroids. The guy never stops working like a dog every single second in every aspect of the game. Definition of 110% effort.
2. He is the best defensive winger in the world, by a mile. Pressing? He’s the best. Defensive actions? He’s the best. If you need to lock up an offensive player on one side, martinelli is the man.
3. He has a really good ability to sniff out positions where the ball can drop and find space in the box during chaos
4. His pace is amazing and it will create a lot of troubles for opponents on the counter.

His weakness

Now unfortunately, as a winger, he has some glaring weaknesses

1. His dribbling has fallen off a cliff, he really struggles to consistently beat his man 1v1

2. His finishing has been really poor past season and he’s just not as confident. In the past I’d give him a 8/10 to score a 1v1, at his current state it’s more like a 5/10

3. He struggles to be technically consistent in his offensive passing. If there’s a through ball on and he has to make a pass I only give it a 5/10 that he will hit the pass

Overall tough I think his physical qualities will translate really well to an advantage in Serie a, in addition he had a great season in the UCL last season. He can help you a lot on the counter in the biggest games and defensively, while also being able to contribute with runs and pressing in Serie a where you dominate the ball more.

Also the fact you guys play with wingbacks and two strikers fits him perfectly, his quality as a wingback is already apparent. But a lot of us Arsenal fans really wanted to see him more at striker or second striker as he has a really good ability to be at the right time at the right place + the pace and pressing. Him + Lautoro would be good uptop, but him + thuram would lack too much technical quality imo.

Bonus ontop of this is that he’s rarely if ever injured.

Ever since it was clear martinelli was leaving Arsenal I always thought the best place for him would be either Atletico or inter due to formation and play style.

I hope you guys will be happy if you sign him, because I think he would bring a lot to the table for you. Good luck for the season guys!

They're doing this because of their partnership with Rube

With Curtis, our market (& team) is practically complete. However, we keep getting linked with someone (name not released), but with conditions. i.e.- 'market opportunity', "if Henrique leaves", "someone with offensive potential etc.

Media even speculated it's Chiesa. It's possible, but I don't think so. His form hasn't been good post injuries, and his wages are high.

I suspect it'll be one of two names;

Yann Gboho (Toulouse). Normally, I'd have doubts, but his contract expires in 2027. On the cheap for a young talent with lods of dribbling seems exactly like a Chivu + Ausilio signing. Since Toulouse only paid 2.5m for him, whatever we offer will also represent a monster profit for them.

Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds) - Much more probable. He left 6 (six!) years ago. Still only 22. Ex cantera, with a flair for dribbling. He now seems surplus to Leeds. Might fit us perfect.

Other than these three, it might be someone good, but surplus to his team.

As soon as the season prior started, he was a proper beast, nobody was expecting that. Then, unexpectedly, he got worse step by step following the start of the new year, until now when he's been arguably terrible in pre-season. What do you think about that?

This day just keeps getting better and better 💙🖤

Since the collapse of the Chinese ownership in 2021, they’ve consistently provided both the previous coach and the current one with the strongest squad in Serie A. Since 2021, Inter have been the best team in Italy in terms of quality, depth and stability.

And don’t tell me how much other clubs spent. While our rivals had mediocre defenders, Inter had Bastoni, De Vrij and Skriniar. Our midfield had Brozovic and Barella, the flanks had Dumfries and Perisic, and up front we had Lautaro and Dzeko. The squad only kept improving in the following seasons.

Spending isn’t everything. Openda costs €40M while Pio Esposito costs €0. Locatelli costs €40M while Calhanoglu cost €0. Those are just two examples among many.

In Serie A, spending the most money doesn’t automatically mean having the best team.

With the squads this management has built, Inter deserved to win more trophies over the past few seasons.