Former Inter, AC Milan, Roma, and Real Madrid defender Christian Panucci believes that Inter Milan are Serie A title favourites.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster SportMediaset, via FCInterNews, the ex-Italy international also gave his thoughts on the sale of Andre Onana, and on the degree of influence that Saudi Pro League spending is having on football.
With more than a month still to go, the question of favourites for the Serie A title still looks far off.
Moreover, none of the teams at the top necessarily know what their squads will even look like for as long as the transfer window remains open.
Serie A has had a different winner in each of the last four seasons. That is arguably already four serious candidates, to say nothing of teams like Roma, Lazio, and Atalanta.
However, there are certainly some teams with a particularly big ambition to win the Scudetto. Inter coach Simone Inzaghi has made no bones about it – he wants to fight for the title.
And for his part, Panucci believes that Inter are the team in the best position to win it this coming season.
Panucci: Inter Milan Favourites To Lift The 2023-24 Serie A title
Of the upcoming Serie A season, Panucci said that “Inter are always up there, they’ll be the favourites. But Napoli won’t give it up easily. And then let’s see what Juventus and Milan do.”
Regarding recent high-profile transfers to the Saudi Pro League, particularly Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Panucci said that “I know they have particular goals in Saudi Arabia, including hosting the World Cup.”
“They have no shortage of money, and sentiment is starting to be in short supply in the modern world.”
“Now, only the god of Money rules everything,” Panucci reflected.
“At 28 I probably would have gone there,” the former defender admitted. “I don’t want to be a moralist, but at twenty I was at Milan, Middlesbrough offered me five times more than I was earning. But I didn’t leave because Milan were the best team in the world.”
“Today we aren’t among the strongest teams in the world,” he then noted.
Panucci also gave his thoughts on what looks to be the imminent sale of Inter goalkeeper Onana.
“Given how important he is to the team, I don’t know if I would do it,” he said of selling the Cameroonian.
“But the times dictate these things.”
“He’s a great goalkeeper, even Pep Guardiola has always expressed an admiration. But at the same time, €60 million is a lot for a keeper. So I don’t know.”