The Deja Vu: Key players left after the 2023 Champions League final, and the pattern might repeat after the latest defeat.
It`s unclear if this is due to motivation, environment, money, or something else entirely. What is certain is that the hypothetical triple departure of Sommer (currently the least probable), Dumfries (whose mere €25 million clause is concerning), and Calhanoglu (increasingly set on returning to Galatasaray in his homeland) seems like a movie we`ve seen before. Essentially, a déjà vu.
The magnificent run, the emotions, the euphoria, then the heaviest disappointment of all at the final hurdle, in the Champions League final, just when history was within sight, only one last effort away. One last feat that could have represented a dream come true, but instead transformed into a dark nightmare. Today, like a couple of years ago, Inter is trying to move past the lost Champions League final. But today it`s even more difficult than in the recent past; because after the disappointment in Istanbul, there was the conviction of being able to bounce back, because the journey – including a top group stage and double challenges against Bayern and Barcelona – felt even more epic than in 2023, because PSG seemed a more beatable opponent than Guardiola`s Manchester City. Instead, the outcome was decidedly worse.
Shortly after the Istanbul final, it led to the departures of Onana, Skriniar, and Brozovic. The post-final departure trend was even more striking if we extend it to names like Lukaku (comparable to a Correa figure) and Dzeko (who, like Arnautovic, left upon contract expiry). A goalkeeper, a defender, a midfielder – plus two forwards. Practically the team`s core structure. And today, these same departures could remarkably repeat themselves, with only the names of the protagonists changing.
Triple Goodbye?
The player closest to leaving Inter is undoubtedly Hakan Calhanoglu. Galatasaray wants him with strong conviction, he is equally keen on returning to his homeland, but no proposals, offers, emails, or calls have yet arrived at Viale della Liberazione [Inter`s headquarters]. It`s a game of negotiation. A negotiation that resembles the one that took Brozovic to Saudi Arabia, to Cristiano Ronaldo`s Al-Nassr. Epic Brozo`s words, social media jokes, then the right offer, and the green light. Goodbye to the deep-lying playmaker.
Regarding Dumfries, the situation is instead reminiscent of Skriniar`s, with a €25 million difference. The Slovak chose to leave on a free transfer after Istanbul – precisely for PSG – but the concept is similar to Denzel`s clause: faced with such a defined contractual situation, Inter can`t do much but watch and hope that, today, Barcelona and Manchester City don`t push for the Dutchman.
And finally, the goalkeeper: in 2023, the opportunity to `offload` Onana to Manchester United for 50 million after signing him on a free a year earlier was too significant. Sommer`s situation today is different. But the common denominator is the same: unbearable disappointment after the Champions League final and thoughts of leaving. From Onana, Skriniar, and Brozovic to Sommer, Dumfries, and Calhanoglu. After all, it is known that history is cyclical.
