The season ahead is set to be a long one for Inter Milan, potentially lasting up to eleven months with a range of fixtures between 50 and 69 matches. Currently, the club has five forwards: Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram, Mehdi Taremi, Marko Arnautovic, and Joaquín Correa. Despite head coach Simone Inzaghi expressing a desire to keep all five, it seems that at least one player is surplus to requirements.
While Arnautovic appears likely to remain unless a suitable opportunity arises, the same cannot be said for Correa, who is viewed as expendable by Inzaghi. The coach, who was pivotal in bringing Correa to the club in 2021, no longer sees him as fitting into the team’s plans. This situation is further complicated by the need for defensive reinforcements; should the management secure a new defender, it is likely that Correa would be the one to miss out on a spot in the UEFA list.
The presence of these forwards is proving a hindrance to Inter’s financial plans, restricting their budget for defensive acquisitions. Both Arnautovic and Correa are on hefty wages—€3.7 million and €3.5 million net per year, respectively—salaries that are considerable for players not occupying key positions in the squad.
Thus far, both players have turned down all offers they’ve received. Arnautovic has attracted interest from various Turkish clubs, and there was even a brief inquiry from Fiorentina earlier, but the Genoa option has faded, particularly after they sold Gudmundsson, a former target for Inter. Despite attempts to introduce Correa into discussions, Genoa is prioritizing other targets.
On the other hand, Correa has snubbed offers from his native Argentina, including River Plate and Estudiantes, as he is not ready to return home just yet. Even a proposal from AEK Athens failed to entice him.
At this juncture, Inter will be hoping that the prospect of significantly reduced playing time will persuade Correa to consider a move to clubs that may not have strong international ambitions. However, time is running short to plan a targeted investment in enhancing their attacking options, which, as it stands, would still include four forwards along with youngsters Satriano and Salcedo, both of whom Inter aims to offload in the coming ten days.
In summary, Inter faces numerous challenges, and under current conditions, their options for acquiring a new attacking player are extremely limited.
