Inter Milan are set for a memorable season, but there are a few players who couldn’t be blamed for thinking ahead to the summer.

With contracts running down and other European giants likely circling, who are the players who could raise their profile at the World Cup?

Federico Dimarco – Italy

Federico Dimarco will have just one year left on his contract at the end of the season. If Inter choose not to offer the Italian a new deal, Dimarco will have plenty of suitors.

He leads the way for assists in Serie A this season. A good performance at the World Cup would further boost his profile, as well as his signing-on fee. But first, Italy has to qualify.

They play Northern Ireland in the playoffs. Dimarco was part of a humiliating 4-1 loss at home to Norway in Italy’s qualification group.

As well as his many assists, Dimarco is also scoring at a rate rarely seen in a wing-back.

Cristian Chivu’s 3-5-2 is arguably ideal for him: he can rampage up and down the left wing with Alessandro Bastoni covering behind. In the 5-0 win over Sassuolo, Dimarco made an amazing three assists. He’s a constant threat from crosses and set-pieces.

Manuel Akanji – Switzerland

If Italy were to qualify, they would join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B. Manuel Akanji helped Switzerland finish top of a qualifying group that included Kosovo, Slovenia and Sweden. The current World Cup odds suggest Akanji’s Switzerland are outsiders to reach the final at around 50/1 on most sportsbooks.

On loan from Manchester City, the defender will likely be looking for a new club this summer. City have Rayan Ait-Nouri, Max Alleyne, Abdukodir Khusanov, Josko Gvardiol, Nathan Ake, Rico Lewis, Ruben Dias, John Stones, and January signing Marc Guehi for the left-back and centre-back spots.

Akanji may be too far down the pecking order to stick around – he will be 31 years old in July and may opt for a move away from Manchester, whether it’s a permanent switch to Milan or somewhere else.

Akanji’s fellow Swiss, Yann Sommer, retired from international football in 2024. The keeper has helped Inter to one of Serie A’s best defensive records this season, behind only their rivals Milan. Sommer’s performances in recent wins against Dortmund in the Champions League, Sassuolo, Juventus, to name a few, make it easy to forget he is 37 years old.

Alessandro Bastoni – Italy

Bastoni has been linked to Barcelona. Reports claimed the defender wants to play for the Spanish giants and won’t negotiate with any other club. Bastoni has won two league titles with Inter (with another likely on the way) and twice suffered heartbreak in Champions League finals.

He may feel Barca offers him a better chance of success on the biggest stage, but the last time they won the competition was 2015 with a front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

Bastoni’s passing and composure on the ball likely appeal to Hansi Flick. His speed would also come in handy with their high line. There won’t be many other clubs that could afford Bastoni, who reportedly earns more than €5 million net a year.