Ahead of Arturo Vidal’s likely move to Inter, Gazzetta dello Sport have analysed how the Nerazzurri’s midfield options would change were they to have the Chilean, Marcelo Brozovic and Radja Nainggolan all available for selection this season.
According to the Milan-based publication, one only need look at the numbers to understand just how big a leap in quality Inter would make in the middle of the pitch, following a season in which many people had criticised Luciano Spalletti’s paucity of options there.
Firstly, they note that Nainggolan, Vidal and Brozovic have all completed more tackles and taken more shots on goal on average in Serie A than each of Inter’s midfielders did during the 2017-18 season (excluding Brozovic, naturally); secondly, they point out that Vidal leads the way out of those players in terms of goals scored in Serie A; and thirdly, they write that Nainggolan tops the charts for the number of times he’s won the ball back.
In their view, these statistics underline how, unlike last year, Spalletti will (or would) now have a midfield of ‘bad boys’ that are capable of winning the ball back and heading straight for the opposition’s goal,
