Having missed out on the Serie A title by two points on the final day last season, Inter attempted to put financial constraints behind them and support coach Simone Inzaghi for a renewed push for the Scudetto.
A whole host of players were linked with the Nerazzurri last summer, and they were able to bring Romelu Lukaku back on loan from Chelsea, in addition to Francesco Acerbi from Lazio, and goalkeeper Andre Onana following the expiry of his Ajax contract. Raoul Bellanova also joined on loan from Cagliari.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Kristjan Asllani also arrived to bolster the midfield, but as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, what has become of the many targets Inter missed out on?
Manuel Akanji
With concerns over Stefan De Vrij‘s future and the departure of backup defender Andrea Ranocchia, Inter were in the market for a centre-back and identified Akanji early.
However, the Serie A club soon accepted defeat as Manchester City stepped in and signed the Switzerland international from Borussia Dortmund, with Inter unable to match the €17 million City bid and €8m salary on offer. Akanji has proved to be an astute signing, with 12 appearances already.
Gleison Bremer
Another centre-back, Gleison Bremer was far more frustrating for Nerazzurri fans to accept after a lengthy pursuit ended in the Brazilian moving to bitter rivals Juventus.
Bremer had caught the eye at the heart of Torino‘s defence last season and was recognised as Serie A’s best defender, but Inter‘s delays in trying to work out a deal allowed Juve to pounce.
Paulo Dybala
Arguably Inter‘s prime target last summer once it became clear that he wouldn’t remain at Juventus, Paulo Dybala looked certain at one point to make the switch to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
However, the Nerazzurri refused to meet Dybala‘s wage demands and instead focused their efforts to sign Lukaku instead, with the Argentine moving on to AS Roma once he had grown fed up of waiting.
Dybala has shown his brilliance at times in the capital, but has missed nine games through injury and Inter are well stocked in attack.
Borna Sosa
Croatia international Borna Sosa appeared on Inter‘s radar before the start of the season and appeared to be close to a switch to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, particularly when it seemed that Robin Gosens would depart for Bayer Leverkusen.
However, the deal did not materialise and the Stuttgart left-back has remained in the Bundesliga, impressing at the back with his defensive positioning.
Inzaghi‘s side continue to be linked with the 24-year-old, but the form of Federico Dimarco has made the position less critical to address, although any sale of Gosens could see Inter return for Sosa.
Caglar Soyuncu
Out of favour at Leicester City, defender Caglar Soyuncu was another centre-back linked with Inter but a combination of injuries and poor form at the start of the season put paid to a move.
Foxes coach Brendan Rodgers has insisted that he wants to rely on the Turkey international, despite him slipping down the pecking order, but with his contract up at the end of the season, Inter may make an approach in January.
Andrea Cambiaso
Having impressed with Genoa despite their relegation, Andrea Cambiaso appeared set for a transfer to Inter after the Biscione had been tracking him for some time.
However, Inter decided to bank on Dimarco and Gosens and Juventus pounced for Cambiaso, snapping him up for €8m.
The 20-year-old has shown his quality on loan at Bologna this season and there is a sense that Inter have missed out on a major talent, particularly after the work that had gone into monitoring him.
