The rumour mill is in full swing, everything between a long term renewal and a big money transfer seems possible for Inter’s Mateo Kovacic. Roberto Mancini’s arrival can’t disguise that the current Inter squad seems to lack the required elements for a serious run at a Champions League spot. So you would think that selling one of the brightest prospects the club has seen in a decade seems illogical? In the right scenario maybe not. Whilst Kovacic is undoubtedly a player who has all the attributes to succeed at a top club such as Real Madrid, he is still very much a work in progress. The fact that he has still to find an ideal role within the team (considering how weak competition for places is) indicates this is the case. With genuine talent at Inter so thin on the ground, Kovacic at just 20 years of age has been forced into a situation where he is a protagonist for the side. This kind of pressure is far from ideal when a player is still trying to find the strengths and weaknesses within his own game. If Mancini and Mazzarri before him had seven or eight ‘elite’ players taking the load off youngsters such as Kovacic the side as a whole would function at a much higher level. The truth is Inter don’t have the money to acquire that type of talent so find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Selling youth to invest in more youth is a mugs game. Deals such as the one which took Philippe Coutinho to Liverpool thus providing the funds for Kovacic can only get you so far. One plausible scenario for selling Kovacic would be to raise the necessary money to acquire two known quantities: Alessio Cerci AND Ezequiel Lavezzi for example. With those two on board feeding any one of Icardi, Osvaldo or Rodrigo Palacio the team could think about making a jump forward. Timing a big sale is the key to not only getting the maximum value but also to prevent a negative impact upon the team. Good examples of this are Falcao’s transfer from Atletico to Monaco which enabled them to find space for Diego Costa. This summer Simeone’s men once again changed strikers, using the money from Costa’s sale to buy Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann.
So back to our original question: Is now the right time to let Kovacic move on? No. The factors that lead us to this rather simplistic answer are mostly just common sense. With Kovacic’s talent standing out at such a young age, keeping him for another one, two or even three seasons is not likely to see that perceived value diminish. If a new contract until 2019 can be agreed upon Inter can extend any decision Kovacic’s future far beyond the next two to three transfer periods. In the summer of 2015 there is no tournament for senior international footballers, giving players a much needed period of rest. This will be extremely beneficial to Kovacic who is already showing the signs of fatigue following a World Cup and constant first team selection. A full pre season after a summer of relaxation whilst under the guidance of Roberto Mancini gives all the indications one would need to think 2015/16 could be Kovacic’s true breakout year with the Nerazzurri. After that season the young Croatian will undoubtedly (bar injury) be a protagonist for his international side during Euro 2016. These are all factors which point to Kovacic’s value only being on the rise during the next 18 months. Barcelona’s eventual need to replace the likes of Iniesta and Xavi is another reason for the Nerazzurri to hold fire. There’s nothing like an El Clasico on the market to hike up a price tag.
The alternative to all this of course is investment. Should Erick Thohir back Roberto Mancini in the market and propels Inter to a third place finish there will of course be less of a need to consider the sale of talents such as Kovacic. In short, Piero Ausilio and Inter can afford to bide their time rather than rush into an ill conceived sale of such a valuable asset.
Source: SempreInter.com
