SempreInter.Com
·11 October 2024
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Yahoo sportsSempreInter.Com
·11 October 2024
One of Francesco Acerbi or Stefan de Vrij will leave Inter Milan at the end of the season.
This according to Calciomercato.com. They report that the Nerazzurri will look to refresh their defense next summer, with a younger replacement for one of the two veteran defender.
At the moment, Inter have two main options in the centre of their back three.
These are former Lazio defenders Acerbi and de Vrij.
There are multiple other defenders in the Nerazzurri squad. However, none of them really have the attributes to play in the middle of the back three.
That position requires a combination of physicality and man-marking ability in particular.
At the moment, Acerbi and de Vrij are able to provide these qualities.
But there is no getting around the fact that both the Italian and the Dutchman are now well into their thirties.
Acerbi will be 37 at the end of the current season. De Vrij, meanwhile, will be 33.
Inter will not want to go into next season with Acerbi and de Vrij as the two options in the centre of defense.
However, at the same time, the Nerazzurri will expect some continuity.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi would hardly want to find himself suddenly doing without both of his main options in the role – particularly considering that both had also worked with the coach at Lazio.
Both are on contracts that expire at the end of next June. Therefore, it will be up to Inter to decide which of the pair stays.
Acerbi has been the player who has started more often over the last couple seasons. Therefore, he could be the favourite to remain.
However, there is the fact that de Vrij is the younger of the two defenders to consider.
And de Vrij does still very much have the trust of Inter coach Inzaghi.
Therefore, either of the two could stay. Inter will make their decision over the remainder of the current campaign.
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