Inter’s season has reached the point at which patience becomes part of the coaching staff’s work. The arrivals from England were meant to add depth and different solutions, yet injuries, World Cup fatigue and the demands of a new dressing room have kept their impact modest so far. At the same time, several players who left Milan have quickly found the minutes and authority that were difficult to promise at San Siro.
The coach and the club
Cristian Chivu is still waiting for his new group to settle. John Stones and Curtis Jones remain unavailable with their respective physical problems, slowing the process for two players asked to adapt not only to Inter but also to Serie A and a different football culture.
Stones arrived as an experienced and versatile addition to a defence that already had established foundations. His fitness record meant some caution was always likely, but his absence has delayed any real assessment of what he can bring.
Jones had offered encouraging signs before his injury. Chivu had identified him because his profile differs from the midfielders already in the squad, giving Inter another kind of presence in the centre of the pitch. For now, that promise remains suspended by his physical setback.
Djed Spence has returned from injury, but his first start against Shakhtar did not yet provide the response Inter had hoped for. The former Tottenham player offered little attacking impetus and was not fully convincing in his defensive work. His summer had also been disrupted by a problem carried over from the World Cup, where he had featured for Thomas Tuchel’s national team.
There had been anticipation around Spence among supporters, helped by the personality with which he arrives at San Siro: long dreadlocks, prominent sunglasses and a strong presence. But Inter know that image does not shorten the adaptation period. The right-back has been seen only sparingly, and he remains one of several summer arrivals still waiting to leave a clear mark.
The wider picture includes Ivan Provedel, Benjamin Pavard, Manuel Akanji and Aleksandar Stankovic. Each case has its own explanation, and it remains early in the season, but the collective return from the recent recruitment has not yet matched expectations.
Waiting for the available players
Provedel has been out for around seven months. Chivu is looking for the right moment to reintroduce him, with Sunday’s match against Fiorentina a possible occasion. Even without an appearance so far, he is considered a credible alternative to Pepo Martinez.
Akanji’s permanent move had effectively been arranged a year earlier. His loan from Manchester City included a purchase clause that would become compulsory once certain conditions were met. The process has unfolded as planned, although the Swiss defender is also finding his way after the exertions of the World Cup.
Pavard’s return came largely because no suitable departure materialised. His high salary discouraged interested clubs after he had been pushed out a little more than a year ago. He has put together a handful of broadly sound performances, only to suffer another recent injury.
Stankovic’s route is more delicate. The Serbian midfielder is competing with Hakan Calhanoglu, one of Inter’s reference points, and has received limited minutes even when the Turkish international was sidelined by minor problems. Inter nevertheless made a significant commitment to bring him back to Milan, spending €23 million after receiving roughly €10 million from Club Brugge the previous summer. The club see the current apprenticeship as potentially valuable, but it has been a quiet start.
The players who found their place elsewhere
The contrast is most evident among those who departed. With Inter’s competition for places so intense, Davide Frattesi, Sebastiano Esposito, Akinsanmiro and Tomas Palacios would have struggled to secure comparable roles in Milan. Elsewhere, they have been able to play with greater continuity.
Frattesi has made the strongest immediate statement after returning to Lazio. He scored three decisive goals in the opening three league rounds and has supplied substantial work beyond the penalty area for Gennaro Gattuso’s side. Lazio are level with Inter at the top on 19 points, in what has been described as the best Serie A start in the Biancocelesti’s history.
Esposito has also used his opportunity well. He moved from Cagliari to Sassuolo on loan with an €11 million option to buy. Inter retain a 40 per cent share of any future sale, potentially worth a further €4.4 million, having already collected €4 million. His performances in the Sassuolo shirt earned him a call-up to Roberto Mancini’s national team.
Akinsanmiro has become an important piece at Monza under Ivan Juric, while Palacios is beginning to look like the case that could trouble Inter most. The Argentine defender, now regularly included in Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina squads, left on loan last January with a €6.5 million purchase option.
Unlike the Esposito deal, Palacios’s agreement contains neither a buy-back clause for Inter nor a percentage of a future transfer. If his rise continues, the sense of regret may grow.
For the moment, however, Inter can also take a practical view. Those who left needed room, and they have found it. Those who arrived need time, fitness and a clearer place in Chivu’s plans. The championship is long enough for Stones, Jones, Spence, Stankovic and the rest to alter the judgement, but the first part of this chapter has belonged more to the players who moved away from San Siro.
