Beppe Marotta (photo Lapresse)
Inter transfer market, the long summer of Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio
Beppe Marotta and the king of the transfer market e one of the greatest executives in history of Italian and world football. But this summer 2023 was decidedly complicated for him (and others) perhaps beyond expectations: between budget and balance sheet limits that Inter’s management must comply with or crazy market variables.
Inter transfer market, Thuram-Frattesi master strokes of Marotta
And to say that it all started out great: Markus Thuram was ready to go on a free transfer. Someone had said and written ‘Blowing him off to Milan’ (forgetting that the Rossoneri had chosen not to relaunch: it is not logical to ensure the former Borussia Mönchengladbach striker a salary equal to or even higher than that of Rafael Leao who had just been renewed).
Immediately after that comes the purchase of Davide Frattesi from Sassuolo: one of the most promising Italian midfielders, in the national team and on loan with an obligation to buy. Here too, some had spoken of Milan being mocked, when it was clear that the Rossoneri weren’t on the player (Loftus Chek, Reijnders and Musah were the targets then all taken), but that’s another story. Not forgetting the gold cession of Drunk to Manchester United (arrived on a free transfer a year ago and sold for around 55 million) and that of Marcelo Brozóvic in Saudi Arabia.
The fact is that after a few days on the transfer market Inter had scored a scorching one-two on entry: like starting a game and finding yourself 2-0 up after twenty minutes.
Inter transfer market, Lukaku’s twist upsets plans for the attacker
And Beppe Marotta had also prepared the third goal to close the transfer market ‘game’ in the first half: Romelu Lukaku. A plot woven by champions with an agreement reached with Chelsea (around 35 million for a player sold two years ago to the blues for 110 million) and Big Rom ready to return to nerazzurri. Indeed not. There, however, something jammed in the mechanism: the Belgian forward stopped answering the phone for a few hours, only to then communicate that he would not return to Inter Milan (with Juventus having been trying to close the deal for weeks to take him outright from Chelsea).
Union Berlin has reappeared for Robin Gosens: if the Germans were to sink the blow with Inter by buying the former Atalanta outright, Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio would go to Carlos Augusto from Monza, the preferred profile for the wing left (on which there are also Atalanta and Juventus).
Inter transfer market: Balogun-Scamacca black smoke. Morata soap opera
A resounding and unexpected no (when, among other things, Inter had said goodbye to Edin Dzeko – in the direction of Turkey – also in light of the conviction of having Lukaku back) which complicated all Inter’s transfer market plans. From then on, a frantic hunt for the attacker started: the Telenovela Balogun from Arsenal which closed in these hours with the renunciation of continuing negotiations for a technical, fast, young player (born in 2001), but valued in gold by the Gunners. There telenovela number two in Spanish sauce on Alvaro Morataa player that Inzaghi likes but doesn’t warm up the management also and especially in the price-quality ratio (6.5 million salary without the help of the Growth Decree and Atletico Madrid asking for 21 million probably in a single tranche). And then Gianluca Scamacca who seemed one step away from Inter until Atalantawith the money from the sale of Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United (85 million from the Red Devils to the Goddess: Percassi’s masterpiece), did not relaunch strongly with West Ham and the player, bringing the former Sassuolo striker to Gasperini’s court.
Inter transfer market, Arnautovic more than Taremi
Now Inter have a great puzzle to solve on the attacker less than twenty days after the transfer market closes and must speed up plans B: first of all Marko Arnautovic if Bologna make discounts (the Nerazzurri certainly don’t want to go beyond 10 million for the 34-year-old Austrian), Mehdi Taremi of Porto secondly (but the Lusitanians are an expensive shop: they value it at around 30 million, an exaggerated figure for a 31-year-old who would not be resalable). While Beto from Udinese looks like plan C if Arnautovic or Taremi do not enter (beyond, according to the Gazzetta, alla suggestione Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, 34-year-old striker from Bayern Munich). The will would be to close within a few 48 hours. We will see.
Inter transfer market, Samardzic braking and Nerazzurri clearing
But among the Nerazzurri thorns of this market, in addition to the doorman telenovela (the dream perhaps would have been Vicar from Empoli, but Tottenham immediately put in 20 million plus bonuses before any negotiation with the Tuscan club could even be hypothesized) which then closed with the happy end (the experienced Sommer from Bayern Munich and the tried and tested Audero from Sampdoria) another unexpected one has suddenly opened up linked to Lazar Samardzic. The negotiation with the 21-year-old Serbian midfielder from Udinese she suddenly ran aground after her medical. Many insiders immediately thought of a relaunch behind the scenes of West Ham or perhaps some top Italian club (the boy has always been a fan of the Juventus player Giuntoli since the days of Napoli). Even if in reality the player seems determined to wear the Nerazzurri shirt (“Firmo? Of course”, he would have replied to a fan according to Sportitalia) and from Samardzic’s entourage and in these hours there are signs of approaching (“We are on the right track”) .
In short, a very hot summer that Marotta is experiencing, even if the feeling is that at the end of market thrillers and soap operas, the Nerazzurri will be the favorite or one of the top favorites to win the Scudetto. With the dream of conquering the second star before Milan. Hell allowing…
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