Inter need three signings if they want to be key players in next season’s UEFA Champions League, according to their former striker Aldo Serena.
Antonio Conte’s side suffered an embarrassing group stage exit back in December, finishing bottom below Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Inter will look to translate their likely Serie A title success onto the European stage next year, but Serena is not convinced their current squad is good enough to make an impact.
In an interview for Friday’s print edition of Tuttosport, Serena said: “Inter will need to play a more risky style of football.
“They’ll also need a left wing-back, a back-up to Romelu Lukaku and another dynamic midfielder, because at the moment they only have Nicolo Barella.”
Inter have received criticism in certain sections of the Italian media for their cautious approach in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Sassuolo.
Conte’s men recorded just 30% possession against the Neroverdi at San Siro, their lowest ever since Opta started collecting such data in 2004.
Serena leapt to his former team’s defence though, arguing: “Football is not a circus act.
“If you play in a certain way you have a better chance of winning.
“Conte tried at the start of this season to get Inter pressing high and being aggressive, but it was an ambitious idea and Inter couldn’t sustain that tempo for 90 minutes.
“He realised that and changed things, proving that he’s anything but inflexible with his tactics.
“Conte is a very mature coach who is capable of finding alternative solutions.
“Inter might not be spectacular to watch but they’re certainly effective and a great collective.
“They lean on Romelu Lukaku a lot and move up the pitch with their midfielders, they attack through Achraf Hakimi and play a collective style.
“Even Giovanni Trapattoni’s record-breaking side (in 1988-89, a team Serena played in) was criticised at the start of the season.
“We had a bad start that year and went straight out of the Coppa Italia, but we finished the year on a high with the Scudetto.”
Inter are 11 points clear at the top of Serie A with nine games left.
