How Inter Milan have barely missed a beat in their youth rebuild
‘Rebuild’. ‘Transition’. ‘Project’.
All words that we’ve become too familiar with as clubs try to reshape their identity and ambitions in a bid to become more competitive in the long-term. Many clubs have struggled during this process.
Turning over an ageing squad is a tough and gruelling process. Turning over an ageing squad whilst staying competitive at the top of the table is another thing altogether. Across Europe, we’ve seen many clubs struggle to no end in doing so, stuck in this ‘transition period’ for what seems like an eternity. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been aimlessly thrown around to try and regain a side’s position amongst Europe’s best. Managers, directors of football and even owners have come and gone during this exhausting operation.
It’s taken Inter Milan only a summer to reduce the age of their squad whilst still maintaining their status as the best club in Italy.
Rewind back to the 31st of May 2025. Simone Inzhagi’s Inter were dismantled at the hands of PSG in the most one-sided Champions League final we’ve ever seen. 5-0 but it could've been 7 or 8. It was sad to watch. 2 weeks prior, Inter were on the verge of potentially winning the treble but in the end they ended up with nothing. The average age of Inter’s starting XI throughout the season hovered around the 31 mark, the highest average in Europe’s top 5 leagues and by far the highest out of any elite side. By the end of the season, it was obvious the miles had caught up to them. They looked lethargic and lacked any fight during that PSG clash - it was obvious their historic tie against Barcelona had really taken the life out of them.
Image from Inter’s iconic semi-final clash with Barcelona in 24/25. Via Italy_Focus on X
The start of the 25/26 season was a daunting one for the 20-time Scudetto winners. Inzhagi, the manager who had transformed them into one of the most revered sides across the continent, had left for Saudi. In the Club World Cup, under new coach Christian Chivu, Inter limped out of the RO16 with a 2-0 loss against Brazilian side Fluminese.
Every sign was pointing towards a period of downturn for the Italian giants when the first ball was kicked in Serie A. An ageing squad, the loss of a world-class coach and a demoralised side who were so close to conquering football just to end up with nothing. Many Serie A experts believed that come May, it would be another side lifting the domestic trophy - with Conte’s Napoli and Allegri’s Milan being shunted as the favourites.
But over the summer, Inter were making a host of moves in the transfer window. Moves that went under the radar due to the lack of money involved, but moves nonetheless. 21 year old French centre-forward Ange-Yoan Bonny was picked up for €23 million from Parma. Two Ligue 1 exports, in Luis Henrique (23) and Andy Diouf (22) were signed for a combined fee of €43 million. Midfielder Petar Sucic (21) was added to bolster Milan’s attacking options and Francesco Pio Esposito (21), a colossal striker honed in Inter’s prestigious academy - was finally entrusted to become a full-fledged first-teamer. The average age of Inter’s 5 signings over the summer comes to 23.4 and that’s including the loan signing of treble-winner Manuel Akanji (30).
Ange-Yoan Bonny celebrating after a goal for Inter. Image via @InterMilanFra on X
None of these names are blockbuster. None captured any headlines. Bonny has been highly thought of in Italy but was hardly seen as a ‘needle-moving’ signing in the national media. They were all fairly underground footballers, unheard of by many - venerated by us football manager players. It’s well-known that money is scarce in Italy. Inter’s famed Director of Football, Giussepe Marotta, became so-well respected in Italy because of his ability to constantly improve Juventus’ squad with shrewd and smart deals that didn’t have eye-watering sums attached to them - typically operating in the free agent market. At Inter, this trend has nothing but continued as he proves again to be one of the best in the business.
By all underlying metrics, Inter are the best team in Italian football (yet again), leading the league by both xG scored and conceded. They lost their manager and replaced him with the inexperienced Cristian Chivu, who had barely half a season of experience at the top level (6 months with Parma). Chivu hasn’t exactly ripped up any trees in regards to his tactical approach at Inter. It’s wildly similar to his predecessor’s. This may be because he started his managerial career as the coach of Inter’s u19’s, where he remained for three years before serving as the understudy to Inzaghi. Three at the back. Compact and diligent out of possession. Looking to move the ball quickly through the thirds when they’ve got it. There’s small changes but much of it seems similar to the work of Inzaghi. Only time will tell if Chivu will slowly adapt and tweak these ideas to suit his philosophies or if he’s paying tribute to Robin Thicke on blurred lines as a copycat.
Chivu played over 160 times for Inter from 2007-2013. Image via nerazzuriSoci_ on X
Bonny and Esposito will likely take-over from Martinez and Thuram when the time comes. Bonny is a striker who likes to drop deep, dribble past players and cause havoc between the lines. Esposito is the perfect foil. Powerful, a huge presence in the box who has no problem throwing himself at chances and a habit of being in the right place at the right time. It works perfectly - they already have 18 g/a combined in all comps in relatively sporadic minutes.
Petar Sucic is already a key player in the heart of Inter’s midfield. An all-action player who can run for days, carry the ball and dribble at pace. He’s the exact template that Inzaghi heralded and Chivu will undoubtedly look to utilise. In the next few years, he’s sure to be partnered by Alexander Stankovic (21) who’s enjoying a very impressive loan spell at Club Brugge. He’s a rangey defensive midfielder who takes minimal touches, press resistant. He disrupts attacks and looks to play quickly and intelligently. Andy Diouf completes the trio. The Frenchman was signed from Lens and although has featured the least out of Inter’s new players, he has shown promise whenever on the pitch. He’s agile and athletic with the ability to go past players at will. There’s also a chance Diouf becomes more of a wingback, having been used there recently - due to his pace and dribbling ability but with the talented Luis Henrique already there, this makes little sense.
Inter have built a young core ready to take on the next decade together. They can bide their time right now and learn from the great players they’re bound to replace. Learn the culture, learn how to win. Marotta has once again dished out a lesson on how to build a team for the future whilst maintaining the current level. They might not be as imperious as they have been over the last two years, but considering they lost the manager that took them there - they aren’t far off at all.
They’ll continue to add two or three young signings over the next few summers in order to consolidate their position at the top of the Italian pyramid. 3-4 months ago there were whispers that their golden years were finally over and another side could claim the throne they’d deserted. Nobody’s whispering anymore. Inter aren’t going anywhere in a hurry.
