Inter’s players are frustrated with Suning after they were asked to give up two months’ wages, according to a report in the Italian media today.
Gazzetta dello Sport’s print edition said there was a degree of annoyance with the timing and the manner of Steven Zhang’s request at Appiano Gentile yesterday.
Inter’s players have yet to deliver an official response to the proposal, but they are destined to reject it and there is little sign of them changing their mind.
However, they will agree to consider Suning’s plan B of deferring certain monthly installments into next season, allowing Inter’s owners to ease their immediate financial concerns.
Zhang asked the players to give up monthly payments which would total €25 million before tax, as he awaits the €250 million financing deal – from either Bain Capital or Oaktree – which should arrive in the next week.
Inter’s directors and technical staff were also present at the meeting in training, but Antonio Conte did not take part as he awaits his own summit with Zhang.
The players were disappointed to hear the first rumours of the wage cut proposal last week, which reportedly changed the mood in the camp just as they were celebrating the Serie A title.
Samir Handanovic could deliver a group response or the players might respond individually, but either way the answer is likely to be ‘no’.
Inter will need to renegotiate their players’ contracts individually given that each players have different contract situations, but everything will have to be sorted before May 31.
At that moment, the Nerazzurri are due to settle the outstanding installments for November, December, February and March for this season, with the April and May payments required before June 30.