My (very realistic) proposal for this Transfer Window

Let's start by analizing our team in the end of the 2011/12 season (the players avaiable to Inter are marked with an X). Information was gathered from most reliable sources as possible (even though transfermarkt clearly overestimates most player's value).

Moratti has already set the guidelines, so my proposal will focus on:

1. Rejuvenating the team

2. Cutting down wages

3. Bringing players to key positions where they are lacking

What happened so far:

- We've executed our purchase option for Guarin for 10m instead of the rumoured 13,5m

- The 30 years old WF Palacio from Genoa comes for 10m and rumoured wages of 1,7m per season in a three years contract

- Cordoba retires

- Pandev is sold to Napoli for 8m

My very realistic proposal for each position (assuming a 4231 or 433):

Centre Forward

No change needed.

Players: Milito, Pazzini and Castaignos

Wide Forward

Sell Forlan for 3m and bring Giovinco for 20m. Pandev is already out and Palacio is already in. Try to bring someone young on loan.

Players: Giovinco, Palacio, Alvarez + loan

Attacking Midfield

The position which would lose the most on this transfer window with Sneijder leaving. Coutinho back from Espanyol will have to prove his worth and we should also promote Bessa to see if the kid's really good.

Players: Coutinho, Alvarez, Bessa

Defensive & Central Midfield

Execute our buying options for the quite good Guarin for 10m (already done) and Poli for 6m.

Players: Guarin, Cambiasso, Poli, Obi, Stankovic + loan

Left Back

No change needed.

Players: Zanetti, Nagatomo

Right Back

Sell Maicon and pay the expensive price for Chilean Isla.

Players: Isla, Faraoni, Jonathan

Centre Back

The biggest renewal. Cordoba retired and Chivu should be gone for free. Sell Lucio and buy Silvestre and Andreolli.

Players: Samuel, Ranocchia, Silvestre, Juan, Andreolli

Goalkeepers

With Orlandoni retiring, just use Primavera's Di Gennaro as bench if needed (Orlandoni did not play any game last season).

Players: Julione, Castelazzi, Di Gennaro

Overall

In the end we are still 8m positive not counting the wages for the loaned players nor the wage increase of some of our players (for instance Nagatomo got +0,5m). So this is very close to break-even for the 2012/13 season. But we'd cut down our total net wages from 62,8m to close to 50m or a 25% reduction. That means enough money to bring one of Lavezzi or Lucas EACH year.

And at the same time we'd rejuvenate our squad and make it competitive again for next season. Please Moratti, make it happen.

FORZA INTER!!

Reducing wages...

The main guidance set by Moratti for this first weeks of the Transfer Window seems to be reducing the wage's bill for next season. For the 2011/12 we've reported a total of 62,8 millions net wages, a decrease from the 68,9m of the previous season but still much above the amount needed for us to meet the Financial Fair Play rules (as we can see in this excellent article by the Swiss Ramble).

 

As for the last season, we can split the players who earn reasonably low wages (up to 1,5 millions net per season) and players with high wages (from 3,0 to 4,5 m). There are really only a few exceptions outside these ranges with intermediate wages (from 1,5 to 3,0 there were only Pazzini, Guarin, Palombo and Zarate - the last, already replaced by Palacio with similar earnings) and Sneijder who earns amazing 6,0 m.

 

Most Inter players are in the high range with 11 players totalling 39,5 m per season. If we add Sneijder, it amounts to 12 players and 45,5 m. We can also add Pandev, who earns 3m but we didn't paid his wages last season. So let's split these players into three groups:

 

Most likely to stay:

- Samuel (3,0m): has already renewed his contract with wages until undisclosed (but probably below the current 3,0m)

- Zanetti (3,0m): our legend is going nowhere

- Milito (4,5m): the top scorer for Inter last season and also 2nd in Serie A is almost sure to start the matches as Centre Forward next season

- Cambiasso (4,0m): our veteran DM is highely likely to stay because A. we can't refresh every single player in the midfield in just one year, B. he is one of the few players with no rumours around and C. he is Argentinean

 

 

Most likely to leave:

- Cordoba (3,0m): Cafe has already announced his retirement from the fields and should take up a position in Inter's administration

- Chivu (3,5m): the Romanian's contract ends this month. Inter made an undisclosed offer with a wage reduction but the rumours link him to many clubs where he could be a starter, specially Galatasaray (TUR)

- Lucio (3,5m): according to his agent, he's already looking for a new club. Most likely destination is Flamengo (BRA) or another Brazilian club

- Maicon (4,0m): as always, there are rumours of interest from PSG (FRA). This time the transaction might go forward given Inter's interest in Isla, who has already stated he'd like to play for the nerazzurri

- Forlan (3,5m): some clubs from Brazil are interested yet his current wages are unatainable at Brazil's Serie A. So far, Forlan has priorized his wages over playing time, but we'll see in the next two months as Inter's already shown the will to sell him

- Pandev (3,0m): deal with Napoli for 8,0 m seems to be lacking only oficialization

 

 

And those who are really undefined so far:

 - JC (4,5m): rumours link him to Flamengo, but a trade would mean bringing Viviano (co-owned with Palermo) or Udinese's Handanovic to Inter and that's not likely at this moment

- Sneijder (6,0m): yet again another Sneijder novel. We've become used to hearing several teams bidding on him and we never know when he will really be sold. If Lucas comes (highly unlikely as Sao Paulo has decline a 18m proposal for the young Brazilian) then he could be sold; otherwise, the Dutch playmaker should stay with us

- Stankovic (3,0m): the Serb denied the rumours linking him to American teams. The constant injuries and the his physical shape, clearly unable to support 90 minutes at full speed in the end of the season generated several critics towards him but Stramaccioni considers him as a vital piece. If any of the prospects for the position (as De Jong or Sahin) comes, then he could leave.

In the end, it is good to see the management taking decisions that should've been taken long ago. Regardless of FFP, we need to aim for a team that is financially viable if we want the Grande Inter to be sucessful in the long run without depending on the good will of Moratti in injecting (even more) money (than he has already had). Other good measures as aiming to increase the commercial revenue (Inter's stores in China, tour in Indonesia, etc) and the dreams of a new stadium (with the recent talks of a potential partnership with the China Railway Construction Company) are also being taken but that is a different matter and a different post.

For now, we can only hope Inter's management will understand that, even though we need to cut down wages, a team with results is equally important for the overall financial results of a team. That means we need to compete for the scudetto and at least play in the Champions League every single year. Will the replacements for the many players leaving be up for this job?

FORZA INTER

Ps.: source for most information is this FIF thread by Michael. A highly recommended read.

Figo & Materazzi

I just had to post this awesome photo of Luis Figo and Marco Materazzi!