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A recurring theme of Inter’s recent summers has been finding anyone willing to take on its lengthy and cumbersome list of deadwood. More often than not dry loans or options are the best the Nerazzurri can come up with, which only forces Inter to go through the whole process in a year’s time. But that unwelcome undertaking may finally be nearing the end of its days for at least two of the many players out of Inter’s plans. According to Gianluca Di Marzio via Sky Sport Italia, both Joao Mario and Dalbert are at long last nearing permanent goodbyes from Appiano.
The agreement between Inter and Benfica for Joao Mario is getting closer - final details then he'll join Benfica, Rui Costa wants to sign the agreement next week. #Benfica
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 9, 2021
Inter are also set to sell Dalbert to Trabzonspor on loan with the obligation to buy [€7M]. @SkySport
After spending last season on loan to Sporting CP, Joao Mario is reportedly heading back to the Portuguese top flight, albeit with Benfica. The midfielder led Sporting to a league title and impressed enough for Benfica to shell out around €7.5 million to snatch him from their rivals. The only hold-up is a clause in the original deal with Sporting that blocks Inter from selling him to another club in Portugal. The Nerazzurri apparently feels confident enough in circumventing the clause to go to court, which is an ordeal Sporting is also prepared to go through. Hopefully, Sporting doesn’t care enough about the fate of Joao Mario - they had an option to buy him but chose not to use it! - and we can avoid a drawn-out saga. But considering the trouble Joao Mario has caused Inter over the years, I wouldn’t bet on a quick conclusion.
Dalbert, on the other hand, offers a more clear-cut situation. He spent the past season on loan to Rennes where he made 18 appearances and attracted interest from Trabzonspor. The Turkish club has offered €5 million to bring Dalbert to the Şenol Güneş Stadium. Inter is trying to milk an extra €2 million out of Trabzonspor but such details aren’t likely to hold up the deal.
Getting Mario and Dalbert off the books permanently is a massive success for Beppe Marotta and Co, a feat even more impressive in pandemic times. The extra cash will be a welcome lifeline for Inter to go along with the relief of finally seeing the backs of Dalbert and Mario once and for all. Neither deal is done yet, however, and until an official announcement comes it’s too early to celebrate.