New Era at Inter: Key Departures, Fresh Faces & Future Pursuits | OneFootball

It’s the dawn of a new era at Inter after the club severed ties with Simone Inzaghi at the end of a heartbreaking 2024/25 season. The 49-year-old left San Siro after four years to take over the reins at Al-Hilal following his first trophyless campaign at the Nerazzurri.

Despite being in contention for a historic treble until mid-April, Inter finished the season with a silverware. In addition to a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, they failed to defend their Serie A title as Napoli won the Scudetto by the tightest of margins.

Inzaghi announced his departure days after the Munich fiasco, and with the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup around the corner, time was a factor. Inter had hoped to replace the ex-Lazio boss with Cesc Fabregas, only for the Spaniard to turn them down out of loyalty to Como. Therefore, the club went for a familiar face to fill the void.

Cristian Chivu has returned to the club in a different capacity after helping Parma secure Serie A survival in his maiden foray into senior management. However, the situation in the locker room is far from idyllic amid another rumor-packed summer.

Without further ado, let’s look at Inter’s transfer dealings.

Key exits

Last season’s Serie A runners-up have made keeping all first-team stars their top priority. With several stars, including Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, having affordable release clauses, there was a genuine fear that some could leave the club heading into the summer transfer window.

So far, everything has gone smoothly. Once heavily linked with PSG, Thuram will stay at San Siro, in all likelihood. Likewise, Dumfries will likely be at Chivu’s disposal next term after his best season in Italy yet. The same applies to Hakan Calhanoglu, despite wild speculation in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Inter are working on offloading numerous fringe players. Marko Arnautovic and Joaquin Correa left on free transfers. Mehdi Taremi, Tomas Palacios, Kristjan Asllani, Tajon Buchanan, and Sebastiano Esposito could soon follow in their footsteps. Indeed, Chivu’s men have put all four out-of-favor stars up for sale.

Notable signings

Unlike some previous years, Inter have decided to flex their financial muscle to strengthen their aging squad. As such, four players have joined the Nerazzurri for a combined fee of north of €70 million.

Inter and Dinamo Zagreb arranged Petar Sucic’s transfer last winter. However, the 21-year-old midfielder joined the 20-time Serie A champions on the eve of the team’s trip to North America for the Club World Cup. Sucic made his Inter debut in the United States, showing glimpses of his outstanding talent.

Like the Croat, Luis Henrique debuted for the Nerazzurri last month after arriving from Olympique Marseille for a reported fee of €23m. Though he primarily operated as a winger at the Stade Velodrome, Chivu sees the Brazilian as Dumfries’ alternative at wingback. Henrique’s speed and technique make him an exciting addition to this Inter team.

Ange-Yoan Bonny swapped Parma for Inter shortly after their return from the Club World Cup. Chivu’s desire to reunite with the 21-year-old striker saw the Nerazzurri splash out nearly €25m to sign the Frenchman. Yet, he will likely play second fiddle to Lautaro Martinez and Thuram.

Finally, Inter made Nicola Zalewski’s move from Roma permanent for as little as €6m.

Who could join?

Inter have prioritized their pursuit of Atalanta star Ademola Lookman. The versatile forward has emerged as the club’s top target to strengthen their attacking options amid Chivu’s intention to alter Inzaghi’s trademark 3-5-2 formation.

Indeed, the Nerazzurri could line up in a 3-4-2-1 next term. Therefore, their interest in the 27-year-old Nigerian makes perfect sense. Despite seeing their opening €40m bid rejected by Atalanta, Inter remain confident of signing Lookman.

After all, the player has already agreed on personal terms with the San Siro club. Furthermore, Lookman has reportedly put pressure on Atalanta to lower their demands and facilitate his switch to Inter.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport via FCInterNews, Inter remain hopeful of signing Parma prodigy Giovanni Leoni. Chivu’s charges are willing to offer Sebastiano Esposito plus cash for the sought-after center-back to soften the Crusaders’ stance.

Meanwhile, Parma have slapped a substantial €40m price tag on their most prized asset. Like Bonny, Leoni is also keen to work with Chivu, who launched his career at Stadio Ennio Tardini in the second half of last season. Yet, Milan and Liverpool are eager to rival Inter for the 18-year-old’s signature.