The Nerazzurri defender has only accumulated 66 minutes in Inter`s last six matches, all against Slavia Prague in the Champions League. However, he possesses a key characteristic that the Inter coach intends to utilize.
Yann Bisseck`s start to the current season hasn`t been encouraging. After not playing in the opening match against Torino, he started against Udinese but appeared uncertain, playing a negative role in Atta`s goal. This was followed by four consecutive matches on the bench, before starting in the Champions League against Slavia Prague, only to be unused again in the subsequent game against Cremonese. Following his impressive performance last season, Bisseck likely envisioned a very different start.
However, his standing is far from compromised. There are several reasons for this: just a few months ago, the German defender was a pivotal figure for Inter, accumulating 1639 minutes across 27 Serie A appearances (an excellent average of about an hour per game), plus an additional 19 appearances in the Champions League, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa. Both the club and the coach were—and remain—pleased with him, so much so that they rejected significant bids from several clubs, with Crystal Palace reportedly offering over €30 million to bring him to London. Inter chose to keep him, valuing his potential and versatility.
As a Central Defender?
It`s true that Bisseck has been among the least utilized players in Inter`s squad; only Zielinski, Diouf, and Darmian have played fewer minutes than him in the league. However, the former Aarhus defender`s key asset is his versatility. Chivu sees him not only as a right-sided alternative to Akanji but also as a capable central defender in the absence of Acerbi and De Vrij. This is particularly significant given the generational shift Inter will face next summer when neither Acerbi nor De Vrij will be part of the squad.
As a central defender, Bisseck is valued by Chivu for a very specific characteristic: courage. The Inter coach has already pushed the Nerazzurri`s defensive line approximately 6-7 meters higher compared to the recent past, but he still contemplates moving it even further up. A Flick-esque style at Barcelona? Perhaps too daring, considering the risks associated with such a philosophy (which Inter experienced firsthand in last year`s Champions League semifinal against Barcelona), but certainly a similar approach. Among all Inter`s defenders, Bisseck is the one who maintains the highest defensive line. This is a tactic Chivu might experiment with in the coming weeks, having already evaluated the `German giant` closely at Appiano Gentile. The aim is to bring him back into a prominent role.
