Inter Milan has undergone a hugely productive transfer window leading up to the 2015-16 season, already bolstering its defensive and midfield ranks to the point where the team is recognised as one that can challenge for the Champions League places in Serie A. More additions are needed, however, specifically in the final third of the pitch.
Other Serie A sides look on in envy at what is occurring in the blue half of Milan.
An eighth place finish last season has not deterred the Nerazzurri in adding first rate quality players to the squad, many of whom were targeted by clubs that have qualified for Europe’s premium competition.
And the expenditure does not appear to be halting any time soon, with Internazionale linked with a whole host of players from around Europe. A total transfer outlay upward of €45 million looks likely to be added to soon, and it needs to be if the club is to reclaim a Champions League berth.
Despite only competing on two fronts this season (Serie A and the Coppa Italia), more depth is needed for Roberto Mancini’s squad, both out wide and up front.
The only recognised senior wingers at the manager’s disposal at this point in time are Xherdan Shaqiri, who may even be on his way out, and the recently acquired Jonathan Biabiany. Up top, Inter boasts one of the best young strikers in the world and last season’s joint Capocannoniere winner in Mauro Icardi, however this department is another in need of more numbers.
Rodrigo Palacio, at 33, is not getting any younger, and Romanian prospect George Puscas is expected to leave the San Siro this transfer window, either on loan or permanently. Should Icardi go down with injury sometime during the season, Mancini would have to rely on one, or both, of the aforementioned pair to deliver a top-three finish.
With additions out wide and up front a must, we take a look at who would be the best fit for the black and blue of Milan.
Ivan Perišic
The 26-year-old has reportedly already received a ‘fantastic offer’ from Inter Milan. VfL Wolfsburg’s sporting director Klaus Allofs, however, is not entertaining the sale of the Croatian for the time being.
Able to operate on both wings and boasting a fierce shot from distance, Perišic would be a quality addition to the squad. At 26, the winger is only just hitting his prime and has many good years still left in him.
The reported fee believed to be on offer to Allofs and Wolfsburg is mooted to be around the €15 million mark, not too lavish for a club of Inter’s financial standing.
With André Schürrle already at die Wölfe’s disposal and Daniel Caligiuri enjoying a fine season at the Volkswagen Arena last time out, a move for the former Borussia Dortmund man would make sense for both clubs as well as the player.
Stevan Jovetic
Already a proven talent in Italian football, the Montenegrin striker would prove invaluable in the shirt of the Nerrazzurri.
Prior to his €31 million move to Manchester City, the 25-year-old turned in some dazzling performances for Fiorentina between 2008 and 2013.
The striker’s career in the sky blue of City never took off due to ongoing injury problems and fierce competition in the striking department, battling the likes Sergio Agüero, Edin Dzeko, and Wilfried Bony.
If the Partizan Belgrade youth product can remain injury-free, however, his skill, technical ability, and vision would be utilised to full effect under Mancini.
Mohamed Salah
One of the more controversial transfer sagas in the current window, Fiorentina director Paolo Panerai slammed Inter Milan for its interest in the Egyptian, saying the club should be relegated to Serie B for breaking Financial Fair Play regulations.
There appears to be no substance behind these claims, however, and the signing of the wing-wizard would be an astute one for the Nerazzurri. Still only 23 years of age and a much cheaper and younger alternative to Chelsea counterpart Juan Cuadrado, Salah would represent great value for Inter and would boost the club’s chances of reclaiming a top-three finish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyL22XFSsOE
The former FC Basel man’s electric pace, dribbling skill, and flair would be menacing against opposition defenders, and with Salah on one side, Shaqiri on the other (assuming the club holds onto him), and Icardi or Jovetic up front, Inter Milan would have one of the most intimidating attacking tridents in Italian and world football.
Depth is the main aim for the remainder of the transfer window at the San Siro. Although Inter Milan has acted early and aggressively and invested shrewdly, there is still some way to go for the squad to be complete.
Bringing in so many players can be hazardous for a club, but with a proven winner in Mancini at the helm and the undoubted quality at his disposal, the additions of the aforementioned trio would go a long way to hoisting the Nerazzurri towards the top echelons of the Serie A table.
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