Mauro Icardi will be named in Inter’s 25-man Serie A squad this season in a bid to avoid legal risks, Tuttosport reported today.
Maurito is certain not to feature in Antonio Conte’s Champions League list, for which Inter no longer have restrictions after leaving their Settlement Agreement with UEFA.
However, the Nerazzurri’s former captain will remain eligible for league fixtures, if indeed he stays beyond 2 September, because he could seek legal action if they freeze him out.
FIFA’s regulations on transferring players state ‘established’ squad members can terminate their contract if they don’t appear in at least 10% of matches during a season.
Inter will finally be able to name a full 25-man squad for their Champions League matches after being limited to 21 players in previous seasons.
Dalbert, Gagliardini and Joao Mario were all excluded for financial reasons under Luciano Spalletti but Conte will have much more freedom to make his own choices.
All clubs must reserve four spots in their lists for homegrown players and another four for players who have come through their own academy system.
Conte currently has 26 players to pick from, excluding Icardi and youngsters such as Lucien Agoume and Sebastiano Esposito, but Federico Dimarco is the only man currently eligible for an academy slot, meaning he must omit another four to fill the remaining 21 places.
Lautaro Martinez, Matteo Politano and Ivan Perisic are the only forwards he can include at present, but Inter will soon sign two new strikers and they will also be included.
There are no limitations whatsoever regarding the overall ‘cost’ of players named in the squad, unlike in recent years, meaning Conte can call upon anyone without worrying about the size of their transfer fee.
