Inter owners Suning would still seriously consider selling the club, and have never given up on the idea.
This according to today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, who report that the Chinese company are still interested in finding a buyer, although there are obstacles and that refinancing the debt is a likelier possibility.
Suning have clearly stated their continued commitment to their ownership of Inter despite rumours of a possible sale of the club in recent weeks.
However, according to the Corriere, the owners have privately been considering the feasibility of their continued control of the Nerazzurri especially after it became clear that the Super League project was dead in the water or at least on hold.
The financial problems at the club remain despite the work done by the owners and club directors, and keeping the club running without further investment looks to be difficult.
However, bringing in money in the form of selling minority shares could also be difficult for Suning, as it would be hard to attract investors to put capital into minority ownership of a club which is still running at a loss.
For this reason, it could become untenable for the current owners to continue on with the club and they are still seriously considering a sale, according to the report.
However, a key obstacle to any potential sale remains Suning’s valuation of the club, with the Chinese company valuing the Nerazzurri’s assets, including the club’s significant debt, at over €1 billion.
This has been enough to put off any buyers interested in the club thus far, including Saudi fund the PIF who had been linked with purchasing Inter.
Accordingly, the likeliest way forward for Suning at Inter remains that the company will try to refinance the club’s debt, now at over €375 million.
The company could even look to find someone to replace US fund Oaktree Capital who injected cash into the club with a significant loan earlier this year, although at this point no course of action looks clear or has been verified.
