Samir Handanovic agrees to contract extension with Inter Milan

Beside bringing in a number of new players, another important part of Inter's revival plan has been to keep hold of its current stars. Young talents Mauro Icardi and Mateo Kovacic signed new contracts and pledged their future to the Nerazzurri, and the last of the key players on the squad who needed to extend his contract was goalkeeper Samir Handanovic. Though he did have a few errors towards the end of the season, the Slovenian international has been consistently recognized as one of the best goalkeepers in Italy and arguably, one of the best in Europe.

A goalkeeper of this status would be expected to be playing in the Champions League, and the fact that Inter have not been seen in this competition since the 11/12 season was seen as a big reason why the 31 year old was hesitating to commit his future to the club. With his contract ending in June of 2016 this summer was seen as probably the key time to sell Handanovic if he was not going to sign a new contract.

But now selling is no longer necessary. It seems that Handanovic has agreed to extend his contract until 2019. He will also see his pay increase from €2m to €2.5m plus bonuses. This new contract will be officially signed towards the end of the transfer window.

It looks like Thohir's investment in new players and Mancini's new gameplan has made Handanovic optimistic about the club's future. With the squad improving to the point of being able to challenge at the top of the table again, the future looks like a bright one, one that Handanovic is willing to give a chance.