And so we’re back here again. Another player that Inter have scouted for a long time and ahead of all other clubs, decides to sign for another club. All of you know who I’m referring to, but let us put things into perspective before getting into all the details, because the financial reality of the past few years has led to a number of similar events repeating themselves where Inter have been very close to signing a player, but where several factors have kept the player at his club only to sign for another club other than Inter when deciding to leave.
During the season where Benitez was in charge, Inter was negotiating with Udinese for Alexis Sanchez for a very long time. Inter made a Udinese a few offers but saw all of them turned down. The final offer was worth 12 million Euro’s and the rights to Biabiany (the same offer which brought Pazzini to the club) who back then was worth around 8 million Euro’s, which Udinese turned down and asked Inter to return in the summer with a higher offer. All the Italian experts agreed that Inter had an oral and moral agreement in place with Udinese to be first in line to sign the player. When summer finally arrived, so did Inter, with an offer worth 20 million Euro’s, but unsurprisingly, Sanchez had been nothing short of magical during that spring which led Barcelona to arrive offering a deal worth in excess of 40 million Euro’s. Both the player and Udinese were more than content with Barca’s offer and all the work that Inter had put into the deal, was flushed down the drain. Since then we have seen the same thing happen with Lucas (where Inter already had a deal in place worth 27 million Euro’s but saw it hijacked by PSG who tabled 45 million Euro’s) as well with Lavezzi where Inter wanted to send Pandev and Pazzini plus cash to Naples in exchange for the Argentinian winder but again saw PSG hijack the deal by again tabling bags of cash, which Napoli couldn’t refuse.
In the recent case concerning Paulinho, there are several facts which need to be pointed out, which make this case different from the ones mentions above. Inter had their offer accepted not once but twice but were rejected by the player on both occassions. The first time, when Inter offered 8 million Euro’s, Paulinho said that he wanted to play Copa Libertadores before makign a decision. After Corinthians won the cup, Inter again made an offer to Paulinho who this time said that he wanted to play and win the FIFA World Club Cup, which he did, and again he rejected Inter. We at SempreInter discussed amongst ourselves after this second rejection that he probably already has a deal in place with Chelsea and PSG, whom he would join in the summer, a sentiment which many of our readers shared with us. Although we were mistaken as to the actual club, our line of reasoning turned out to be true, So when a crying Paulinho, during a pressconference two years after having won the Coppa Libertadores declares that he is signing for Tottenham, many Interisti go completely crazy.
My colleague at SempreInter, Danny Hansen is happy that the neverending soap-opera is finally over. A player who Inter had in their hands for 8 million Euro’s signs for Tottenham for just under 20 million Euro’s. Twice he has had the opportunity to sign for Inter, twice he has turned us down. Here, there are two things which we Interisti need to accept. Firstly, we can’t afford to spend 20 million Euro’s without having to sell players first. I can honestly say that even if we were to sell players we wouldn’t be able to buy anyone for 20 million (maybe unless Thohir’s entrance into the club can provide us with an exception). Secondly, we have to understand that we can’t mourn when a player who apprantely doesn’t want to go to Inter, signs for another club. Paulinho is an absolutely world class player, he has a bright future ahead of him where he will be the protagonist in both his national team as well as at club level, but if he doesn’t want to come to Inter, then there is nothing to feel sad about or to mourn. Paulinho turned Inter down. Twice. Albeit for different reasons, but Inter need players who turn down two other clubs to join the more beuatiful half of Milano, not the other way around.
Inter need players who really wnat to join the club and to honour the shirt. The fact that this means that the club has signed a few players over the past few years who are as good on the pitch as you and I, is a valid point. But another valid point is demonstrated by Palacio. A player who Roma wanted and a player who Roma outbid Inter by 2 million Euro’s but who was determined to join the club and together with the Inter directors skillfullness meant that a player who could have been lost instead signed for the club he wanted to join. Now, Palacio is one of the pillars of the Inter of tomorrow. We can focus on Juan Jesus, who declined Juventus in order to sign for Inter, who also is a pillar of this Inter. Or why not focus on our newly appointed manager, Walter Mazzarri, who declined a higher salary as well as better possibilites on the transfermarket in Naples and Roma in order to take charge of an Inter who won’t play in Europe next season.
Inter needs to be constructed on people who want to be at the club and who are willing to make sacrifices to come to the club (such as Handanovic who lowered his wage demands in order for Inter to afford him), the rest is up to Branca, Moratti and the rest of the directors to make sure that the rest of the team is good enough. It may be difficult to find players who are good enough to elevate Inter to new heights, but we can’t afford to keep coming close but still not being quite close enough.
Edit/translation from Swedish: Nima Tavallaey Roodsari
