Italian Football Finance Expert & Journalist: ‘Inter Milan Have Done Well In The Transfer Market When Suning Unable To Invest’

Italian finance journalist Marco Bellinazzo feels that Inter Milan have done well in the transfer market when lacking investment from owners Suning.

The journalist from Italian business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore spoke to Italian broadcaster Radio Kiss Kiss, via FCInterNews. He praised the Nerazzurri’s signings within tight budgetary restrictions.

If there has been a theme of Inter’s transfer activity in recent years, it has been the clear influence of the club’s financial situation.

That wasn’t necessarily always the case with Suning as owners.

On the contrary, the Nerazzurri made marquee signings like Romelu Lukaku, Nicolo Barella, and Achraf Hakimi among others in 2019 and 2020.

However, it was the pandemic that really caused the situation to change.

The effects of lockdown meant that Inter, like all football clubs, lost a key source of revenues in the form of matchday gate receipts.

Then, there was the matter of Suning’s financial woes outside of Inter.

The Nerazzurri owners, as a brick-and-mortar retail giant, were not exactly well-placed to weather the early effects of the pandemic and lockdown.

Moreover, there have also been constraints on investment in European football from the Chinese government.

All of these factors have pointed in one direction: Inter have made big sales in the past three summers, and not spent anywhere near the same amount they’ve brought in on new signings.,

Bellinazzo: Inter Have Done Well In Transfermarket When Suning Investment Absent

Last summer, there were signs of some improvements in terms of Inter’s financial situation.

The Nerazzurri were able to essentially have a “net zero” transfer window ahead of this season.

That meant that there was still a big sale. Inter sold Andre Onana to Manchester United for a fee well in excess of €50 million.

However, the Nerazzurri did also outlay the money that they’d brought in straight back into the transfer market.

Defender Benjamin Pavard was the costliest arrival. But there were also notable signings such as Davide Frattesi, Carlos Augusto, and Marcus Thuram.

The latter arrived on a free transfer, but with significant commissions and high wages.

This is quite different than in the summer of 2021. That transfer window saw Inter sell Hakimi and Lukaku for huge fee, and sign low-cost replacements.

Bellinazzo observed that “Money can always be found to make signings from making sales.”

“Inter have done well in the transfer market in the last few years,” the journalist and football finance expert continues. “Since the investment from Suning dried up.”

The journalist noted that “Marotta and Ausilio have done well to make big sales like those of Onana and Brozovic.”

Bellinazzo noted that the departues of the Cameroonian and Croat last summer “Guaranteed more than €60 million in capital gains, which were then reinvested.”