Closing the matches remains the worry, but Sunday gave the answers we needed. THE’Interthe only one to do so upon returning from Riyadh, returned to winning ways: six consecutive away games in the league, without conceding a goal. As if to say: what do we have to prove? The team of Simone Inzaghi it imposed itself in Venice not through arrogance, nor with the goals of the cover men: Darmian took care of it, then the automatic pilot of a team used to excelling did the rest.
It is the key week for Davide Frattesi’s future. Statements and choices over the weekend have inevitably brought the Roman midfielder closer to the Inter world. President Marotta assured that the player never asked for the transfer, Inzaghi said he considered Frattesi at the center of his project. Up to a certain point. There is a subtlety in the coach’s phrases: “Without Mkhitaryan’s injury he would have played.” A counter-intuitive reasoning: if a midfielder gets hurt, one of his colleagues should have more chances to play, not less.
This is instead the key to deciphering the Inter midfield, which has clear pairs and hierarchies. With the choices, once again, Inzaghi reiterated what he already said to Frattesi in the confrontation – certainly not an argument, as written by someone and denied by the coach – a few weeks ago: he is the alternative to Barella. And, for the record, gnawing on minutes is a really complicated mission.
This week, it was said, his future will become clear. Roma are pressing, Napoli are at the window, they are monitoring abroad. It is difficult to think that Inter, who were very reluctant at the beginning of January to touch the locker room and with the need to possibly find a replacement, would do both in the last ten days of the transfer window. More than likely a summit with those who follow the player’s interests: those around him – Inzaghi said it openly in yesterday’s press conference – have been advising him for days to stay, to at least wait until the summer.
In the event of a farewell, the replacement theme is central: Ricci is the favourite, but it is very difficult for Cairo to open in January. Frendrup ditto. Furthermore, Milan has also been on both for some time. Among the alternatives that Roma could propose, more than Cristante and Zalewski who don’t particularly warm up, Inzaghi could like Lorenzo Pellegrini. The right economic arrangements would have to be found – not easy – and it remains to be seen whether Roma can really put him on the table.