The Nerazzurri midfielder is coveted by several clubs and close to leaving Milan during every transfer window. Yet in the end, he stays, this time due to four issues
“You again, weren’t we supposed to never see each other again?” Lucio Battisti sang this in 1976. Fifty years later, the song composed by the Italian singer-songwriter and Mogol is still relevant, even more so when compared to the situation linking Davide Frattesi’s name to Inter. But returning to more recent times, we could also quote Calcutta’s “Pesto”: “Should I go out or not?” Another lyric that sums up the period – now anything but short – of the former Sassuolo midfielder in Nerazzurri colors. Despite rumors, negotiations, and dozens of teams other than Inter linked to him, he remains at Inter. Frattesi would have left last summer if Simone Inzaghi had remained on the Inter bench. His goal was to play more. This is understandable, considering his limited playing time but above all Davide’s ability (or former ability) to make an impact when he comes on as a substitute. Two examples among many? The goals against Bayern Munich and Barcelona that propelled Inter to the Champions League final last year. Instead, Chivu pampered him throughout his first summer as Nerazzurri coach, visiting him in the clinic after his hernia operation and explaining the tactical plan he had in mind for him. All good, one might think. But then?
The story turned out differently. Frattesi was supposed to be the number 10 that never arrived from the transfer market (Lookman in the summer), the player capable of guaranteeing the unpredictability in attack that was somewhat lacking behind the pair of strikers in Chivu’s original tactical plan (which also included a 3-4-1-2 formation), in short, the man capable of breaking open games. So far, however, he has not broken anything. Not even in the Coppa Italia, not even in Cremona as a starter, in fact in none of the opportunities he has been given: 2 out of 2 from the 1st minute in the cup plus another 19 appearances between Serie A, Champions League, and Supercoppa. Even if he was rarely a starter. So one question comes back to mind: why did Frattesi stay at Inter?
Four issues— There are four main reasons why Frattesi stayed in Milan: two financial, one geographical, and the last technical. Number 1: Inter never considered selling him for less than at least €30 million, a request that inevitably scared off at least some of the teams that had approached them over time to ask for information. The second problem is linked to the first in two ways: Inter’s management received offers for Frattesi that were inadequate both in terms of valuation and, above all, in terms of the formula. Inter only wants to sell Frattesi on a permanent basis. No loan, no loan with an option to buy, not even a loan with a conditional obligation. Issue number 3 is geographical: the team that has come closest to signing Frattesi in recent weeks has been Nottingham Forest, 17th in the Premier League and clearly absent from any European competition. This is one factor, or rather two, in Frattesi’s thinking, as he would prefer to continue playing in more prestigious competitions. The final hurdle was raised by Inter, because without a suitable and ready replacement, the squad would have had to remain the same. And so it was.
