Inter legend Beppe Bergomi has revealed his one regret for the Nerazzurri’s January transfer window.
Antonio Conte will head into the second half of the season with virtually the same squad he had before this month, with only Radja Nainggolan having departed on loan to Cagliari and no new arrivals yet.
In an interview with Tuttosport on Friday, Bergomi admitted there was one player he hoped Inter would sign in January, before going on to share his thoughts on where Conte’s squad displays weaknesses.
“I would have liked to see Parma forward Gervinho at Inter, it would have been a nice idea to sign him,” Bergomi began.
“I would say that another Achraf Hakimi-style wing-back to go on the left is missing, a player capable of beating his man with great ease.
“Ashley Young plays there, who is a right footer, or Ivan Perisic who is adapted, while Aleksandar Kolarov is considered more of a centre-back.
“Inter need a left-footed player there who can take a good shot and dribble his opponents.”
Bergomi then went on to explain why he said Inter would finish fourth in the standings a few months back.
“I said it to protect Inter when they had just been eliminated from the Champions League and everyone said that Inter, without any European commitments, were obliged to win the Scudetto.
“It was wrong for people to say that because Juventus, even if there has been a change of coach, are still ahead.
“AC Milan have a very deep squad and Napoli are very strong even if Rino Gattuso, perhaps due to internal problems, is unable to get the most out of what he has.
“All without forgetting, of course, Atalanta, who I really like.
“That said, I put all these teams on the same level.
“Inter can fight for the title and win it, but the others can do it too.”
Bergomi, who spent the entirety of his 20-year playing career with Inter, then went on to speak about Christian Eriksen, who fired Inter into the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia on Tuesday with a stoppage-time winner against AC Milan.
“For years, Inter have not had someone who takes free-kicks well and, for that reason alone, Eriksen is a resource to be exploited,” he argued.
“Personally, I don’t see him as a play-maker in midfield because the more you push him away from goal, the more he struggles.
“In Conte’s 3-5-2 system there is a lot of attention given to defensive work, which is very important and for this reason, outside of the starters, the Dane can only play close to the strikers, where, among other things, he can be decisive also because he has an excellent shot from distance.”
Bergomi proceeded to sing the praises of Conte for the job that he has done in his 18 months in charge of the Nerazzurri so far.
“He deserves a lot of credit because working at Inter is not easy and he is doing things his way with strength and determination.
“However, between reaching the Champions League places and winning the league, there is one last step to take and it is the most difficult one.
“In Conte’s period in charge, Inter have never managed to do well in a decisive match.
“Last year they had to win against Barcelona and lost, this year they had to beat Shakhtar Donetsk and didn’t manage it.
“The same is happening in the league where, twice in the last month, when AC Milan lost Inter weren’t able to win and take advantage.”
Inter return to Serie A action tonight as they welcome Pippo Inzaghi’s Benevento to San Siro.
