Inter Milan's Winter Transfer Struggles

Many open fronts but no solutions in sight. That could define Inter Milan's winter transfer market, as they have only added two players to the team, Lisandro López and Rafinha, and neither of them seem to be starters. This has raised concerns among the neroazzurri fans, who have a lingering lack of trust in Zhang Jindong's project.

After the transfer window closed, the fans criticized the club through Steven Zhang's Instagram account. Steven is the president's son, and the lack of movement in the transfer window, especially in midfield where Joao Mario's move to West Ham United indicated the need for reinforcements, did not sit well with the fans. The expected arrival of Ramires, who was negotiating with Jiangsu Suning, fell through. He would have been the main option for the midfield. Another option that was considered was Stephane Mbia from Hebei China Fortune, but his signing was ultimately discarded, leaving Inter with no options and no time left.

The 'Pastore case', the main problem

The signing of Javier Pastore would have silenced any criticism from the Italian fans, or at least that's what the club's atmosphere suggested. The sporting director of Inter Milan, Piero Ausilio, clarified the situation through an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport: "I don't doubt the player's qualities, but based on our needs, we made a loan request that didn't meet PSG's requirements. It was clear that there was no basis for negotiations, and I've said it in the past few days." Inter Milan's maneuvering room was not enough to sign him, and they will have to wait until next summer to pursue this transfer.

Among the other failed signings that were rumored during the winter transfer window were Stanislav Lobotka, Daniel Sturridge, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, among others. It is speculated that during the next Serie A match against Crotone, there will be a wave of criticism towards the Chinese management that runs the Italian team.