Last Serie A season was one to forget for the fans of both Milan clubs. Inter finished 8th, and Milan 10th, meaning that two iconic clubs will not feature in European competitions. It was a summer which brought change for both clubs, as stars were brought it, and players left. I will be talking about Inter and Milan’s transfer business, and which side has the edge going into the derby tomorrow.
Flashback 2014-2015 season
The collapse of both Milan sides last season made predictable by the clubs’ lack of activity on the transfer market . Both teams spent a minimal amount of money in the summer of 2014, and the end product was two under-achieving mid-table sides. Walter Mazzarri was sacked in November 2014, and was replaced by Roberto Mancini, who brought enthusiasm to the side once again. Inter had good players last season in Mauro Icardi, Samir Handanovic, Mateo Kovacic, Gary Medel, and Xherdan Shaqiri. Unfortunately, there were still too many holes in the squad, specifically in defense, and the whole campaign went crashing down. Milan started off the season well, but Inzaghi’s defense could not prevent the leakage of goals, and the attack was reliant on the form of Jeremy Menez.
Last season Inter and Milan conceded 48 and 50 goals respectively. To put things into perspective, the best teams in the league conceded less than 39 goals, with the Champions Juventus conceding only 24. Two of the top three sides scored 71+ goals last season, while the Milan and Inter only scored 56 and 59 goals respectively. Both great Milan sides must make aspirations to return to the Champions League, and to be the best, you must beat the best. This summer, both clubs made it clear that they want to return the the Champions through the investments made.
Mercato: players in
Both Milanese clubs needed massive improvement on the pitch. The ambition of both cubs on the mercato was seen in the Geoffrey Kondogbia saga. Both clubs met Monaco’s demands, but the player chose the blue side of Milan. Inter also tied up Joao Miranda to add to Jeison Murillo in defense. Martin Montoya was brought in on loan, but is yet to convince Mancini. After months of speculation, Inter wrapped up deals for Ivan Perisic and Felipe Melo, while Alex Telles and Adem Ljajic were deadline day signings. Stevan Jovetic was the first attacker brought in by Ausilio, and the Montenegrin already look at home at the San Siro. Inter spent a total of 87.6 million euros this summer.
After claiming to have had an agreement with both Jackson Martinez and Geoffrey Kondogbia, Milan lost out on both players and decided to look elsewhere. Carlos Bacca was brought in from Sevilla to compliment Luiz Adriano up front. Andrea Bertolacci and Kucka, who both represented Genoa last season opted to join the Rossoneri. Alessio Romagnoli was another expensive signing brought in from Roma. Mario Balotelli also returned to the club on loan from Liverpool. Milan spent 90.9 million euros this summer.
Mercato: players out
Samir Handanovic’s agent Federico Pastorello stated that Inter “will have to sell one of Handanovic, Kovacic, or Icardi this summer” before the summer started. The Nerazzurri sold Kovacic, which frustrated fans. Italian football expert Adam Digby stated that Inter need to win ‘today.’ At the moment Icardi and Handanovic are good players who can get the job done, while Kovacic has the potential to become a great player. It made sense to sell the player who is yet to consistently perform. Inter also sold Shaqiri to bring in more suitable wingers for the squad. Fringe players like Kuzmanovic and Andreolli were let go of as well. In the end, Inter had to comply to Uefa’s financial fair play to avoid potential sanctions. In total, Inter’s sales add to 90.4 million euros, putting them into a transfer window profit.
Which team did the better business?
This summer both sides spent a lot, but which team did the better business? Inter brought in players who have proved that they can perform in Serie A in Jovetic and Ljajic. Miranda was one of Atletico Madrid’s best players over the last 3 seasons, and has joined Mancini’s project. Jeison Murillo is also a solid defender, as he won the Copa America Best Young Player this summer. Alex Telles is a talented fullback with great potential. Kondogbia was wanted by Europe’s top clubs, and now he is at Inter. Although the Nerazzurri had to sell some assets, they did knowing that they sold two good players to get 4-5 players with more experience. The team got an entire overhaul, and all of the weak links from last season have been replaced and/or improved on.
A lot of Milan fans are upset by how their club spent their money. I think that the complaints are justified. Milan spent over 90 million euros, and only bought 2 consistent and proven players in Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano. Bacca is a great player, and could make a challenge for the capocannoniere this season. Milan also spent 50 million euros on two Roma players. Bertolacci had a good season at Genoa in terms of stats, but there were better players on the market that Milan were linked to. Fans who expect Romagnoli to become Alessandro Nesta overnight are foolish, and it will not be easy for him. Milan only bought 1 defender, while Rodrigo Ely returned from his loan spell at Avellino in Serie B. The Rossoneri can either play two promising but unproven center-backs in Romagnoli and Ely, or play the unreliable players like Mexes and Zapata. Overall, it was a positive summer for Milan because they spent a lot of money, but the spree was badly carried out.
The Verdict
Overall, Inter completed a complete squad overhaul while making a slight profit, while Milan brought in some quality players to improve the squad while ending in a devastating deficit. I think that Inter did better business because they addressed every area of the pitch, while Milan are clearly lacking depth and quality in defense and midfield. However, both squads look good on paper, and the Derby Della Madonnina will be a spectacle both on and off the pitch.
