The Nerazzurri protect their investments in youth by retaining rights on future transfers.
Inter has recently generated over €21 million from the sales of young players such as Oristanio, Filip Stankovic, Zanotti, Satriano, Agoumé, and Colidio. More funds are expected from deals involving Aleksandar Stankovic, Buchanan, and Seba Esposito. These initial transfers were crucial for funding subsequent market operations. However, this revenue could potentially increase significantly in the years to come, thanks to specific contractual agreements.
Contractual Strategies: Buy-Back and Resale Percentages
A deliberate strategy followed by Inter when transferring young talents is to avoid losing complete control over the player`s future. Often, the club`s management includes buy-back clauses, as they aim to do with the sales of Aleks Stankovic to Bruges and Buchanan to Sassuolo. When a buy-back clause is not possible or desired by the buying club, Inter protects its interests by inserting a percentage clause on the player`s future resale value. This practice is becoming increasingly common, especially when a major club sells a player, and these clauses can remain active for many years.
This is precisely the case for the young players mentioned earlier. For example, Oristanio, who is unlikely to remain with Venezia following their relegation, will see Inter receive 30% of the fee from any future transfer the Venetian club makes for him. The same applies to Filip Stankovic, whose percentage is even higher at 50% (meaning Inter could effectively re-sign him for half the price another team would pay). For Zanotti, Satriano, and Colidio, Inter secured between 20% and 30% of their respective future resale values.
Lucien Agoumé`s situation is contractually more intricate. The French midfielder was acquired by Inter in 2019 but never fully established himself in the first team, leading to several loan spells across Europe. He finally found his form at Sevilla last season, prompting the Spanish club to purchase him for €4 million. However, this deal came with two specific stipulations: Inter is entitled to 50% of any future resale fee. Alternatively, Sevilla has the option to reduce Inter`s share to 10% by paying an additional €4 million upfront to the Nerazzurri. These examples highlight how clauses, percentages, and detailed contracts allow clubs to continue profiting from player transfers years after the original deal.
