Inter Milan in full upheaval!

A Serie A champion title obtained with a large lead, a squad that is doing well, and remarkable sporting stability for several years, embodied by the duo Simone Inzaghi-Giuseppe Marotta. And yet, as we write these lines, it is uncertainty that predominates among the Nerazzurri. At 5 p.m. today, the club could change ownership, passing from the hands of Steven Zhang, who represents the Chinese group Suning, to those of Oaktree, an American investment fund.

It all dates back to May 2021, when Zhang, in search of liquidity during the Covid period to ensure the sustainability of the interist project, requested this fund for a loan of €275 million. The American fund claims an interest rate of 12%, with repayment scheduled for a maximum of 3 years later. With this clause: in the event of non-reimbursement, he would become the owner of the club (according to a purchase price already established in advance with Zhang). Despite his attempts, in particular to gain a few additional months of delay with Oaktree, Steven Zhang was unable to find the €380 million necessary for repayment.

Lautaro Martinez’s future revived?

And this could have a direct impact on the athlete, in particular on the extension of captain and star player Lautaro Martinez. For several months the latter has been proclaiming his love for Inter and his desire to extend (he is currently linked until 2026) but still nothing has been signed. And the situation at the head of the club does not help matters. “We are close, just missing a few things. I said ‘an agreement this week’ because then the championship ends and I wanted to define everything before the Copa America but I realize that the company situation could slow everything down: we are talking with Marotta and Ausilio but it also depends on the owner, I don’t know what will happen between now and next week but there are no problems between us”he declared in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The “little things” mentioned by Lautaro Martinez, top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals, can be counted in millions of euros. Inter would have offered him remuneration of €9 million per year when he asked for €12. It is therefore Oaktree which could decide on this matter, and no one knows today if the investment fund will gauge the sporting value of the player or just based on economic reality. What about sporting stability in the coming weeks? The imminent change of ownership risks upsetting the certainties acquired in recent years.