Reports: Inter Nearing Financing Deal with Oaktree

Updates and reports over Inter and Suning’s money problems have been around since January, popping back into focus at random intervals after short stretches of quiet. It’s well-documented that the Nerazzurri aren’t up to date on wages (Suning reportedly was bold enough to ask players to take a three-month cut only days after the Scudetto victory). There have even been whisperings that Conte and other key players could leave this summer thanks to the financial climate, though the Italian media is well-known to push anti-Inter narratives. Now, though, Suning may have found a fix, at least in the short term.

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According to La Stampa and Calcio e Finanza, Oaktree and Inter have come to an agreement over a €300 million deal, with the American assets managing firm edging ahead of Bain Capital in negotiations. Oaktree will replace LionRock as minority shareholder (31%) of Inter while Suning gets the money it desperately needs to stay on top of salaries and transfer payments. Very little of the €300 million is likely to go towards the transfer market. The summer window will see expensive depth pieces like Aleksandar Kolarov, Ashley Young, and perhaps even Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal depart to cut costs. Cheaper names like Federico Dimarco and Eddie Salcedo are possible replacements. Most importantly, however, is that this deal would give Inter stability both now and in the future, and with a little luck, none of the big names will need to be sold. It won’t be a splashy summer, nor does it need to be as long as the Nerazzurri ship is brought into financial balance.