Marcelo Brozovic will leave Inter Milan after eight and a half years at the club.

Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, analyze what the Croat’s imminent departure to join Al-Nassr will mean for the Nerazzurri, both on and off the pitch.

Yesterday, Inter and Al-Nassr reached the final breakthrough in talks for Brozovic.

It was a bumpy week of negotiations. One which saw the player himself consider his future before finally giving the green light to the move.

Al-Nassr had also withdrawn their initial offer of €23 million. Eventually, the Saudi Pro League club and the Nerazzurri agreed a fee of €18 million, the Gazzetta reports.

This puts an end to an eight and a half year association between Brozovic and Inter. The 30-year-old has made 330 appearances in a Nerazzurri shirt since his arrival from Dinamo Zagreb in January of 2015.

Marcelo Brozovic Exit Signals New Era For Inter Milan In Midfield

As the Gazzetta notes, the sale of Brozovic signals how much relations between the player and club have deteriorated.

A rift has formed over the past twelve months or so. Despite the Croat having just signed a contract extension last spring, injuries and disagreements with the club on how to manage them have soured things significantly.

Moreover, Hakan Calhanohlu has emerged as a starting-quality regista over last season. And, waiting in the wings is Kristjan Asllani as a player for the future.

Accordingly, Inter were determined to move on from Brozovic.

The player who has kept things ticking over under all of Luciano Spalletti, Antonio Conte, and Simone Inzaghi will no longer be an Inter player starting next season.

Now, the task begins of constructing a new-look midfield.

Sassuolo and Italy star Davide Frattesi is a target for Inter. However, the fee that Inter are receiving for Brozovic won’t be enough to fund an immediate move for the 23-year-old.

Rather, Inter will take the coming days to consider what they want their future midfield to look like.

One big boost for Inter from the departure of Brozovic is that the Croat is taking his wages with him. The total savings for the Nerazzurri over the next three seasons will be €42 million gross.

This will be space in the wage bill for Inter to head into the future. They will do so without a player who’s been at the heart of midfield for several seasons now.