Football agent Marco Correia de Oliveira has predicted that Inter will swoop for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca this summer, and that he will be a great addition.
In an interview with FCInter1908.it, the Portuguese agent, currently operating in Brazil with FootballWorker.co.uk, offered his thoughts on the Nerazzurri’s transfer plans and was anticipating a positive move for Italian striker Scamacca.
Scamacca will be a very important addition if he were to join Inter in the summer. In my opinion he is the type of striker that every team needs. A bomber in the penalty area, and then also he is young and Italian. He should be signed without a second thought,” Oliveira argued.
The agent suggested that Scamacca and current Nerazzurri youth talent Martin Satriano could lead the line for the club, whilst revealing that they’d missed out on Satriano’s Uruguayan compatriot and Benfica striker Darwin Nunez.
“For me, Scamacca and Martin Satriano are the future of Inter’s attack. Inter scouted in Uruguay, the result of another piece of intuition by the management and the scouting department. He will surprise many.
“Inter had the opportunity to take Nunez when he was at Almeria. I think there was a moment in which the Nerazzurri thought of signing him but both they and Barcelona were not convinced they could spend more than €20 million for a player who played in the Spanish second division. Benfica took advantage of this and could now make at least €60m in the summer. I’m 99% sure he will go to England.”
Having made a fine start to the season, Inter have stalled somewhat in recent weeks and have struggled for form, with Lautaro Martinez in particular suffering in front of goal. Oliveira insisted that this was a psychological challenge and required more focus, but both club and player would return to form.
“Inter have already shown that they know how to do even better than in the past but the real test, for me, begins now. The problem is at the level of mentality.
“Inter showed they could withstand the pressure last season. It wasn’t pretty but it was square, compact, granite and mentally very strong, Antonio Conte’s trademark. For me, this is the real unknown and key to what will happen until the end of the season.
“It is the game, there is joy, there is fun under Inzaghi. But now we need less beauty and more solidity. It is the mentality that led Antonio Conte to change the Inter anthem. Less madness and much more character,” he continued.
“Lautaro is going through a difficult moment, but I’m sure he will get out of it as soon as possible and will be decisive in the run-in to the end of the season. The Argentine could be the great and unexpected reinforcement of Inter. There is no question of quality. Strikers live on goals and as soon as he scores a couple he will be decisive, I am convinced of that.
As I said before, it will be necessary to see the character and mentality of this team. Until recently there was a margin that now seems to have been lost. Inter had great value for a long time, not losing points against the smaller teams. This is how you win titles.
“You may not do well in head-to-head matches but you must not drop points against the small teams. Against Sassuolo it was a very bad defeat. I still think that Inter are the favourites for the Scudetto but the margin for making a mistake is almost over.”
Oliveira was also full of praise for the management team at Inter after directors Beppe Marotta, Piero Ausilio and Dario Baccin committed their futures to the club.
“The renewals of the management is fantastic news for the Nerazzurri. Last summer when they brought in Inzaghi, Dumfries, Calhanoglu, Dzeko and Correa having to replace Conte, Hakimi, Eriksen and Lukaku, Marotta showed he is the real top player of the club. It allowed Ausilio to make the most of all his knowledge and experience that he has acquired in these years at Inter.
“The two together are perfect for the club. However we must also keep an eye on Baccin, who in my opinion has everything to become one of the best sporting directors in the world in a short time. The renewal until 2025 is excellent news. Now even the scouting department at Inter can be expressed at it’s best. It is not dependent on the coach at that time, but the in-depth knowledge of the scouts. This is excellent news.”
Marotta had worked with Paulo Dybala during his previous stint at Juventus, and with the Argentine star out of contract in Turin in the summer, he has been linked with a switch to Inter.
“I think there was moment that Dybala could have gone to Inter. Now there are too many sirens in the Juventus world. I find it hard to see Juve lose such a player to Inter for free, but with Marotta anything is possible.”
Oliveira then turned his attention to potential defensive recruits, including Torino’s Bremer following an impressive campaign.
“He is a player that I could see doing very well at Inter. He would be the central defender who would complete the department perfectly. With all due respect to the very honest Ranocchia, for D’Ambrosio and Dimarco, they are missing a real top centre-back. In my opinion he would be the perfect fit for that department.”
The agent also insisted that Inter ought to retain midfielder Stefano Sensi once he returns from his loan spell at Sampdoria.
“They should absolutely not let him go, on the contrary. He is a player I would absolutely bring back if it were possible. Without injuries, Sensi for me is worthy of Inter and with consistency he can become almost as decisive as Barella,” he concluded.