Inter’s transfers brings Champions League within view

BY ANTHONY LOPOPOLO

LONGING FOR SOME wholesale production in Europe is Serie A champion Inter Milan, with the machinations of President Massimo Moratti certainly focused on satisfying that itch.

And to validate that quest, his team is vying to rip off a page of FC Barcelona’s recent recipe for Champions League triumph. That interest is reported to be in the form of Samuel Eto’o, and some €40 million in compensation for an exchange with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The swap has not been consummated yet, but it is reported that Jose Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto’o, will engage in negotiations with Inter’s camp of executives to iron out personal terms, according to Sky Sports.

If the deal is concluded and eventually becomes a reality, it could be noted as the most incisive transaction of this off-season.

Of course, the swap heavily favours the Italian giant, but this is a case in example of what happens to teams that win in the majority of their competitions—as Barcelona did by earning the treble of victories in the Copa Del Rey, La Liga and Champions League.

"There is not a single major reason for this decision. It is a matter of feeling and sensations,” said coach Pep Guardiola. “It's just that after winning so much, we must change the squad, that's all. There are no other reasons.”

To the contrary, word about an alleged rift in the dressing room between the Cameroon striker and management has spread, but no such notion was verified.

Though that doesn’t dramatically change Guardiola’s stance on the current affair, as he has his hands ready for the send-off.

"I think it would be the best for Barcelona if Eto'o does leave, and his sale is my decision,” he said. "Inter have the money to make Eto'o happy, but if he wants to stay then I will have no problem with that.”

Considering the way in which Inter has manipulated the market to capture some of the most touted targets, the addition of Eto’o and Aliaksandr Hleb, who may join the Milan-based club on a loan spell, implies the club should be a supreme force in Europe next season.

With freshly signed Lucio consolidating the line of central defence along with midfielder Thiago Motta and clinical striker Diego Milito, Inter could wield one of, if not the most prolific attack in Europe next season.

Although Eto’o was plighted by injury in the past three years, he managed to resurrect his scoring touch last year, notching 36 goals in all competitions. The underrated Hleb, who struggled to find a position in Barcelona’s midfield but showcased his playmaking prowess in London with Arsenal, could easily facilitate play and provide that one-two punch in tandem with Dejan Stankovic.

The absence of Ibrahimovic would be hardly missed, and perhaps should even be prodded, for Inter would also drop their reliance on a single striker to convert every opportunity. A one-dimensional reliance in the offensive flank of the field would give way to a more balanced and multi-faceted attack, one bearing even more strengthening options in one Mario Balotelli and David Suazo as well.

Even if Balotelli blows steam over a potential lack of playing time, a medley of eminent and nascent talent striving for more responsibilities on the front end isn’t necessarily a bad thought—and that’s where coach Jose Mourinho will be tested.

These new fixtures, of course, pose the biggest impact on Inter’s disappointing Champions League performances in recent campaigns, which the club is evidently amid rectifying.

All of this, too, without the caustic publication of any imminent financial distress afflicting the club. Sure, Real Madrid made the biggest and most spectacular of signings in Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, but they have yet to really outline a team that looks indomitable for the cash that has been spent.

Rounding out at nearly €200 million in transfer expenditures, Madrid also ventured into loans, one of which was publicized at €76 million from an agency called Caja Madrid. Whether they will be able to earn enough to reimburse that investment through the concessions of players like Arjen Robben, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Wesley Snejider is yet to be known.

Inter, meanwhile, have gone quiet into that good night before stepping up for this final centrepiece.

On the return flight though, Barcelona would receive a competent forward in Ibrahimovic. Despite winning the Capocannoniere—the scoring title in Serie A—this year, the 27-year-old Swede has experienced disheartening trials on the international stage, including his time with the national outfit.

He has scored at least 15 goals in the past three seasons with Inter, but lacked the game-to-game consistency of being the sole scorer in the starting rotation. At times, he would be totally ineffective on the pitch, almost stupefied for a month’s worth of games.

Assimilation into Barcelona’s systemic football would be a refreshing start for Ibrahimovic, provided he learns to accept the club’s collective approach to their attack.

Just as this deal is titillating for Inter fans, it is also apparent that should Eto’o not receive the signing bonus he wants vouched by Inter, the present agreement between the two clubs would potentially fall out.

"Everything depends on Eto'o. He has the right to evaluate Inter's offer and make a decision," Guardiola continued.

That wouldn’t be a terrible fate to befall Jose Mourinho and his men, however. Inter has done what they failed to really do in the past: generate a bundle of shrewd acquisitions.

Their transfer history is blighted by dreadful decisions, culminating in the release of Fabio Cannavaro for Fabian Carini in 2004, a goalkeeper who now plays in Spain’s second-tier league.

Eto’o, and the money that would accompany him, would surely erase the relevancy of that predisposition.

This column was featured on Fox Sports, and can be also read here.