With the Dutchman injured, a gaping hole has opened up on the right. A signing is on the cards, and the idea of bringing in a young talent to develop—such as Valincic from Dinamo Zagreb—is still on the table
The roster is expanding. Not only in terms of the squad—since Inter will make at least one signing in January—but also in terms of candidates to replace Denzel Dumfries. The Dutchman won’t return to the field until March, following an injury-related absence (and surgery) on his ankle that will last between four and five months. So the Nerazzurri management has begun scouting, looking around and targeting the most suitable candidate. Without the former PSV Eindhoven player, Inter has suffered four losses in their last eight matches. This further underscores Dumfries’s central importance, because without him—and with Luis Henrique or Carlos Augusto forced to play on a wing that isn’t their natural position—the team loses a lot both in terms of attacking momentum and defensively. That’s why it has become necessary to bring in fresh blood on the right.
As of now, Inter is monitoring just a handful of names. And each depends on different timelines, because January is just around the corner and they could even hold off until next summer, but the intention is to act immediately. To the various Norton-Cuffy, Valincic, and Touré of Pisa (the latter further down the list, partly due to his age), a new name has been added in recent hours, which would lead to a return and… a partnership with Palestra. The player in question is Raoul Bellanova, currently with Atalanta but set to join Inter for the 2022-23 season. A successful season, aside from the Scudetto, capped off with the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana, and the bittersweet disappointment of the Champions League final lost in Istanbul to Manchester City.

Bellanova could see his stock rise in the coming weeks due to a number of factors. First: Atalanta has plenty of depth on the wings (Zappacosta, Zalewski, Bakker, Bernasconi, and even Musah if needed). Second, and even more importantly: on July 1, Marco Palestra will return to Bergamo, where he will most likely become a starter. This would further clog up the wings for Bellanova, who would never say no to a return to Inter. On the other hand, Norton-Cuffy is liked but doesn’t fully convince, primarily due to a few too many defensive limitations (see, for example, the red card he caused for Leali in last Sunday’s match against Atalanta), and secondly because of the potential bidding war in England—with many Premier League teams interested in the former Arsenal player—that could ensue. And in the background remains the “green” signing, Moris Valincic, who, however, would need time to adapt to Serie A and, he too, to recover from an injury. In the meantime, though, Inter’s right-back market is taking shape.