FC Internazionale Milano have many names. Often mistakenly called “Inter Milan,” they are also known as the “Nerazzurri,” for their black and blue striped shirts, “La Beneamata” (The Cherished One”) and “Il Biscione” (The Big Grass Snake), with the latter moniker depicted on their newest away kit. To both their own supporters and others however, it is often the nickname “Pazza (crazy) Inter” that feels most apt, the club so often guilty of moments of madness both on and off the field.
Many other sides have experienced such dramatic shifts, winning and losing titles and trophies in incredible fashion, although few can claim to have finished a season in third place despite going into the final day two points clear at the top of the table. Inter did just that in 2001/02, but the madness did not begin or end there, instead it is seemingly woven into the very fabric of the club, affecting almost every aspect of their existence for as long as anyone can remember.
Perhaps it has been most evident in their transfer dealings, buying and selling players at an astonishing rate but, in recent years at least, always going into a campaign with a flawed squad. Take last summer when the Nerazzurri invested wisely in central defender Milan Škriniar and midfielder Matías Vecino, but then added Borja Valero to an already crowded group and failed to find an adequate backup for Mauro icardi.
That left them overly reliant on the Argentinian striker and exposed in the centre of the pitch, issues boss Luciano Spalletti managed to overcome in time to snatch fourth-place from Lazio, and gain the coveted Champions League berth that goes with it. Having been absent from UEFA’s elite competition for six years, supporters rightly celebrated their accomplishment, and since that day something very unusual has been happening in the black-and-blue half of Milan.
Inter have been sensible.
More than that, they’ve approached the current transfer window with intelligence, frugality and wisdom, making moves to improve their squad without excessive spending or overreaching for a potential star. After four seasons with Lazio, Dutch international Stefan de Vrij allowed his contract to expire and has since signed with Inter, while Kwadwo Asamoah – a vastly experienced player who won six league titles at Juventus – has done the same.
That duo reinforce a defence underpinned by the previous acquisition of Škriniar, a player who has blossomed into one of the best central defenders in the world over the last 12 months. Still only 23, he has shunned lucrative offers to leave the club, insisting publicly that he wants to stay at Inter despite talk of €70 million bid from Manchester United.
But Inter have not stopped there, instead striking a superb deal to reunite Spalletti with Radja Nainggolan. Their time together at AS Roma saw the Belgian star enjoy the best spell of his career, form he will hope to rediscover under the Tuscan Coach’s watchful eye after signing a four-year contract. Inter negotiated carefully to get their man, eventually paying €24 million while sending youth team player Nicolò Zaniolo and former Newcastle United full-back Davide Santon in the opposite direction.
Nainggolan will almost certainly be used in an advanced role behind Icardi, a position from which he can press opponents and win back the ball high up the pitch, quickly transforming defence into attack. The speed of Icardi and Ivan Perisic – who usually starts out on the left wing – will be vital to that style, while another new arrival will replace the more pedestrian Antonio Candreva on the right flank.
Wanted by a number of top clubs, a move for Matteo Politano was secured last week, initially on loan from Sassuolo at a cost of €7 million, with a further fee of €20 million agreed to make the switch permanent next summer. In two seasons as a first-team regular with the Neroverdi, the 24-year-old weighed in with 15 goals and 10 assists, regularly showing he has the speed, skill and mental toughness to thrive at a bigger club.
“Being here is wonderful and it’s a very important day for me,” Politano told Inter TV as he was unveiled in Milan. “I’m really excited and can’t wait to get started. I thank the Chairman, club, directors and Coach who wanted me here, and I also thank Sassuolo for allowing me to grow and giving me the opportunity to join Inter.”
But while he represents the latest well-thought-out signing, sporting director Piero Ausilio deserves arguably just as much credit for the players he has sold. Geoffrey Kondogbia has been moved on to Valencia to recoup €25 million, while youth team players Davide Bettella and Marco Carraro (both Atalanta) plus Ionut Radu and Federico Valietti (Genoa) are believed to have fetched a total of €24 million.
For a club pressed hard by UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations in recent years, those funds are likely to be vital in helping add the last few pieces to Spalletti’s squad, with a month remaining to find another reliable striker and perhaps a full-back.
Yet Ausilio appears to have everything in hand, and is somehow managing to make Inter look not so “Pazza” after all.
