Kovacic, Kondogbia, Icardi – Why Inter Milan can become a dominant force in years to come

Already boasting incredible young talent, Roberto Mancini’s side has been added to even further in the transfer window and is now on course to challenge for a top three spot in Italy. However, much more can yet be achieved at Inter in the coming years.

A season of transition is about to commence at the Giuseppe Meazza for Inter Milan.

Players have been moved on and players have been bought in. Ultimately, though, a successful season for the Nerazzurri hinges upon whether or not Roberto Mancini and Inter can make the climb from eighth into the top three of the Serie A table.

At this point in time it can be argued that, following the acquisitions recently made, Mancini’s side is the second most talented in Italy’s top division – lagging some way behind Max Allegri’s Juventus.

This, however, does not specifically mean the club is automatically inclined to finish in second or even third place in 2015-16. Some signings tend to underwhelm due to injuries, an inability to adapt, or a totally different host of reasons. The team itself may even struggle to gel with the sheer amount of numbers being introduced into and shipped out of the squad – a look at Liverpool’s woes last season is testament to this.

One thing is certain though – the foundations are in place for Inter to have future success. The only thing that can prevent this success from coming to fruition is if the club decides upon pressing the self destruct button, much like city rival AC Milan has in recent years.

From top to bottom, the club appears as if it is well run.

At the summit sits club president Erick Thohir – an Indonesian businessman who has a relatively good amount of footballing nous and, most importantly, ample amounts of money.

Below is the manager and coaching staff. Mancini has a good, if not great, track record in the dugout, winning three consecutive Scudetti at the helm of Inter during his first spell, as well as delivering Manchester City’s first ever Premier League title in 2012. The 50-year-old is a man who can turn around the club’s fortunes after last season’s slump, the second half of which was admittedly under the Italian.

Sitting at the bottom of the structural pyramid is the youth and grassroots systems. Revamped by none other than José Mourinho during his short but successful stint in charge of the club, Inter’s youth system is renowned as being one of the best in Italy and even Europe at this point in time, helping nurture the likes of Mario Balotelli, Leonardo Bonucci, and Mattia Destro in recent years.

Perched above the youth sector, and arguably the most important part of the structural pyramid, is the first team squad.

2014-15 was not a season to remember for the team, despite even then possessing one of Serie A’s more talented rosters. An eighth place finish meant Inter would be without a European competition for the first time in 16 years.

It was not all doom and gloom for the Nerazzurri, however. The club managed to tie down key players such as Samir Handanovic, Mateo Kovacic, and last season’s joint top scorer Mauro Icardi to long-term contracts, showing that a certain project and ambition is in place at the club.

Such are the lofty aspirations of the club, that the aforementioned Kovacic, commenting on rumours linking him with Liverpool, said: ‘Inter are like Real Madrid and Barcelona.’ That is some statement, though the club is currently heading in the right direction to become the Real Madrid or Barcelona of Serie A.

And even with a gifted squad, the club has put its money where its mouth is, acting in a decisive and efficient manner during the current transfer window. The additions of Jeison Murillo, João Miranda, Martín Montoya, and Jonathan Biabiany are impressive, however it is the purchase of French midfield powerhouse Geoffrey Kondogbia that really signals the club’s intent going into 2015-16. Alongside Kovacic, the pair can form a destructive double-pivot partnership in midfield in a 4-2-3-1 system, excelling in both the attacking and defensive aspects of the game.

And with these inclusions, the squad now appears to be one of the most balanced sides in Serie A. As well as this, there is a youthful look to Mancini’s side.

Apart from Handanovic (31) and Miranda (30), all of the squad’s best players are under the age of 25. Murillo (23), Juan Jesus (24), Kondogbia (22), Kovacic (21), Xherdan Shaqiri (23), and Icardi (22) are all players who, together, can form a successful era in the colours of black and blue of Milan during the next decade.

In comparison to Juventus, the only key player for the club under the age of 25 is 22-year-old Paul Pogba, who is likely to be on the move either this season or next. In saying this, however, the Old Lady do boast similar young talent to that of the Nerazzurri in Álvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala, Roberto Pereyra, and Daniele Rugani.

There is much cause for excitement leading into the upcoming season if you are a fan of Inter Milan.

The club has made many positive steps in the transfer window, and with the help of the new arrivals (as well as the others reportedly on the way), followers of the club will look on with intrigue and enthusiasm as to whether or not the club’s objectives will be fulfilled immediately.

Though still some way off the Bianconeri, Inter has planted the seeds for future success. A run for the Scudetto, and perhaps something even greater, may be on the cards for the club in the coming years.

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