Jeison Murillo: Why a forgotten February signing may be the most important of the summer

So it's no secret that Inter are currently in a state of rebuilding. Inter need more width. Inter need more pace. The team's spine needs new personnel, and they all need to mesh.

This is the generally the case with teams that aren't Madrid, Bayern, or Barca.

In addition to all the necessary improvements mentioned above, Inter are also in desperate need of new talent in their back line (so for those keeping score, we basically need to improve every position not played by Icardi or Handa), and the club actually took action way back in February to strengthen the position of center back when they signed Jeison Murillo.

Some Interisti may have forgotten in the turmoil that was the second half of the season, but the Colombian international's signing for €8 million was generally viewed by experts as a minor gamble, but one that could pay major dividends if it things were to shake out in Inter's favor.

It would seem that the 23-year-old player, while a bit unpolished, definitely has all the tools necessary to succeed at the San Siro. He's got great pace, is a superb tackler, and has the ability to really subdue aerial threats from the opposing team.

Over the past two seasons with Spansih side Granada, Murillo made 51 appearances. During that time, he averaged 83.3% passing accuracy with an average of about 31 passes per match. Factor in the fact that he did this all while playing an average of 4 long balls each match and the numbers go from being good to downright impressive.

Murillo's stats actually mirror that of another current Inter center back, Juan Jesus. An argument could be made that the two young South Americans (JJ is 24 now) could potentially form a solid partnership in Inter's back line and become an effective defensive pairing for Inter for years to come. That's the best-case scenario at least.

UPDATE:

Watch Murillo score the winner for Colombia in last night's Copa America match win over Brazil: