A missed opportunity and reflection that weighs. Inter is faced with no easy choice: keep a leader or turn over a new leaf?
Doccia fredda per l’Inter: così saltano almeno 30 milioni (Foto: LaPresse) – serieanews.com
There is a time in the life of a club when a decision must be made whether to retain a symbol or sell him for the most value. Inter did so last summer, betting everything on continuity. A choice that today, in hindsight, leaves more than one regret. Because the famous 40 million that could have come a year ago seems to have evaporated. And bringing them back now will be complicated.
Inter is starting from a very solid base. The team is already at a very high level, so much so that the work to be done in the summer will be more a matter of refinement and aging. A few excellent disposals, perhaps of those who have already given their best, will serve to open the doors to younger profiles more in line with Simone Inzaghi’s tactical ideas. Or of those who will come after him.
Hakan Calhanoglu is one of those names that, if you look at the ID card and the performance this year, it triggers some thoughts. Last year he was simply extraordinary. A director, a leader, an assist and, above all, a lot of goals. He seemed like the perfect man to take Inter to new and greater heights.
This year, however, the story has changed: less bright, less incisive, especially in the goal zone. And not just because of him: injuries have held him back, and the performance has dropped. He has not collapsed, mind you, but he is no longer what he was last year. And here comes the regret: perhaps it was time to sell him when he was worth so much.
L’offerta del Bayern Monaco per Calhanoglu e la risposta di Rummenigge
Because last summer, Bayern Munich had come forward strongly. They wanted him and so badly, too, that Calhanoglu himself had faltered at the Bavarian enticements. Inter had pondered for a long time, but in the end had said no. Publicly it was a forceful choice, internally a painful decision.
L’offerta del Bayern Monaco per Calhanoglu e la risposta di Rummenigge (Foto: Ansa) – serieanews.com
And now that the situation has changed, the answer has come from Germany itself. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, former Nerazzurri and now Bayern manager, when asked about Calhanoglu was clear: “We never had any interest in him.” A sentence that sounds like a dig after last summer’s no, since the negotiation is actually known to everyone. Translated, “when he was at the top you didn’t give him to us, now we don’t need him anymore.”
So what. Inter finds itself with a player who still has an international name, but with a much colder market. This year perhaps 30 million would have been enough to refresh the midfield, perhaps going for a younger profile such as Torino’s Samuele Ricci, who the management likes so much.
Now, however, the scenario is different: either a team can be found between La Liga and the Premier League willing to bet on Calhanoglu, or the sirens of Saudi Arabia remain. If the idea is to monetize, offers from those leagues will have to be heard. Otherwise there is a risk of selling out, or keeping the player hoping that next season he will return to his best levels. Delicate choice, with the knowledge that time does not play in his favor.
This article Cold shower for Inter: So they skip at least 30 million appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
