Welcome to Inter: Pablo Osvaldo

#SayNoToOsvaldo. Short, simple and concise. Every effective campaign needs a catchy slogan and I thought this one fit the bill quite nicely, but I was very much mistaken.

My adhoc twitter campaign started with so much promise only to see it end up on life support after being overcome by a relentless onslaught of stories linking the 28-year-old to Inter. And it finally died an undignified death with the confirmation of his arrival in Milan.

I see the rationale behind the decision and normally I would gloat about the minuscule fee paid for a striker who scored 16 Serie A goals in 2013, but this deal has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

We should have steered clear of the troubled forward as Inter SB Nation contributor Drewseph expertly pointed out last week, but our transfer team believes the potential benefits outweigh the risks.  

There are plenty of red flags that have been ignored but I guess when you are shopping the bargain rack you have to be willing to accept a product that has some defects.

I hope you fine folks look back on this piece a year from now and ridicule me for ever doubting the Italian international, whose 20 league goals fired Inter back into the Champions League.

I would love that. I welcome the day. But until then #ProveMeWrongPablo, prove me wrong.

VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR




COST

A one-year loan deal with an option to purchase for €7 million. The club can ship him back to England if he doesn't meet expectations so there's not much risk in it for the club... Unless Osvaldo takes Mauro Icardi under his wing and they both run amok, severely fracturing the lockeroom in the process.

STRENGTHS

Osvaldo is excellent in the air and excels in the role of a powerful target man. He's difficult to push off the ball and can hold up play well. He has a flair for the dramatic and can create something out of nothing. A match-winner on his day.

WEAKNESSES

He is undisciplined, selfish and stubborn. His passing leaves a lot to be desired and he picks up too many silly bookings. Tends to lose his composure in heated moments and can resort to sulking if things aren't going his way.

REMINDS ME OF

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but not nearly as good with a bit of Marco Borriello mixed in. Like Ibra, he has lashed out at many team-mates and marches to the beat of his own drum. He has tremendous skill and is capable of the spectacular. Has a flair for the dramatic and can take over a game if he's in the mood. However, his temperament varies from game to game, which makes him exhilarating yet infuriating.

BORN TO PLAY FOR INTER

He came into this world from an Argentine hospital. He's also a wildcard who is either going to light it up or crash and burn dramatically. There is no variance level here. This is going to work out really well or it's going to be an unmitigated disaster. That's the Nerazzurri's kind of signing.

HATERS GONNA HATE

Osvaldo's naysayers have a ton of ammunition to work with and past history suggests they won't be running out any time soon. He is no stranger to physical altercations with his team-mates, with his most recent punchups involving Erik Lamela at Roma and Jose Fonte at Southampton. He doesn't respect the player hierarchy as evidenced by his brazen act of stealing Francesco Totti's penalty only to fail to score from the spot during his stint in the Italian capital.

Let's put it this way, he once played his guitar in the middle of the Plaza de Catalonia when he was at Espanyol without anyone noticing him, because he looked the part of a brooding, melancholic street musician who was playing for a bit of food and a big splash of Ratafia.

NICKNAME

The Busker, The Misunderstood Existentialist, The Animal. Captain Jack Sparrow.

PREDICTED OUTPUT

I'm not expecting too much. Again I hope I'm wrong, but I can't see him scoring more than 12 goals in all competitions this season.