Inter beat rivals Juventus to the signing of Edin Dzeko this summer and it looks to have been very significant to how both teams’ seasons have gone.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera, who note that the Bosnian had been a long-term target for both clubs and that his impact at Inter has been exactly the kind of thing the Bianconeri have lacked this campaign.
Dzeko is a player who both the Nerazzurri and the Bosnian have reportedly chased for a number of transfer windows, but until this summer neither club got a move for him over the line and he remained at Roma.
After Inter lost Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, however, the club were forced to act and finally took the decisive step in their pursuit of the Giallorossi striker.
So far the 35-year-old has been just the thing that the Nerazzurri have needed, stewarding the attack, scoring freely, and forming an effective partnership with Lautaro Martinez in the absence of Lukaku.
Meanwhile, the Bianconeri’s attack has stuttered this season with their 23 Serie A goals a full twenty behind Inter’s total and also ten behind Verona’s.
Max Allegri’s men have found the back of the net fewer times than a total of twelve teams, more than half of the sides in Serie A, this season.
The Bianconeri’s attack was thrown in disarray when Cristiano Ronaldo departed the club for Manchester United towards the end of the summer transfer window.
Juventus were unable to take much time to consider their options and bring in a replacement for the Portuguese attacker, and in the end they chose to bring Moise Kean back to the club from Everton.
Kean has not exactly carried the team’s attack after the loss of Ronaldo as Dzeko has done to help the Nerazzurri transition into life without Lukaku.
In truth, Dzeko would have likely been one of the Bianconeri’s first ports of call to replace Ronaldo had he been available.
Like Inter, Juventus have long appreciated the Bosnian’s qualities and what he brings to the team leading the line.
However, due to the timing of Lukaku departing Inter weeks before Ronaldo was sold, Dzeko had already been off the market for some time by the time the Bianconeri were considering their Ronaldo replacement.
Now it is Inter who will feel satisfied with their team in an attacking sense, while the Bianconeri are likely to scramble in the January transfer market to add attacking quality to their misfiring team.
