According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Stankovic's son, returning from Brugge, is a versatile player who could even replace Calhanoglu as the deep-lying playmaker, and the Internazionale coaching staff is exploring options.

A white headscarf, a bright smile, and a thumbs-up. Calhanoglu returned to Pinetina with a new look, but his mindset remained unchanged. He feels he is fully part of Internazionale's plans and is not too concerned about what happens in a year: his contract expires in June, and the two parties have never discussed a renewal. However, he also knows that this topic can be postponed until after the transfer window closes, when the situation will be calmer, and the club can better assess its internal strategy.

New Life

After a tumultuous Turkish summer, with a mix of genuine and fabricated proposals and campaign propaganda, Calhanoglu had a calm month after playing an unlucky World Cup with the Turkish team. His age of 32 might be one reason; his agent not keeping the rumor window open might also be a reason.

Considering this, he might not be the focus of high-level debate this time. Moreover, Chivu has made it clear to Marotta and Ausilio: there is no other deep-lying playmaker like Calhanoglu outside, so a sale is not recommended. Everyone at Internazionale agrees with this, especially since such a deal is unlikely to fetch a high price. So the most likely outcome is this: Calhanoglu stays, and then discusses a possible renewal with the club later. If an agreement cannot be reached, then that will be the end of it. For Internazionale, this would not cause much financial loss, as they signed him on a free transfer from AC Milan in the summer of 2021.

Alternative Solution

Meanwhile, Internazionale is also looking for a successor due to age and physical factors. Stankovic is returning from Brugge for a transfer fee of 23 million euros, and he will be tried as Calhanoglu's substitute: compared to Zielinski, who performed quite well last season, he is more tactically and physically suited to play as a deep-lying playmaker. Since he is still very young, he has plenty of time to adapt to a new role and will be happy to accept Chivu's demands. The coach is like a second father to him. Stankovic is still growing, and growing well.

Personnel Surplus

As for the midfield market, it is currently stalled due to overpopulation. Including Diouf – who will also be used on the right wing – Internazionale has 10 players under contract, but only 3 positions. This also includes Asllani and Akinsanmiro, who are returning from loan. To squeeze in another new signing, such as Curtis Jones, who the coach likes very much, at least 3 players must leave first. Besides the two mentioned above, Frattesi is the most likely to leave, as he has already submitted a transfer request.

However, he has not yet received an attractive offer. His situation is indeed somewhat strange: until a year ago, he played a decisive role against Bayern and Barcelona, and seemed like a very attractive player. But last season, bouncing between injuries and the bench, directly lowered his market appeal. Frattesi now wants to restart, reset himself, and also wants to fight to retain his place in the new national team; and to do this, he can only change teams.

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