Inter Milan Must Go All Out To Bolster Their Midfield During January

Inter Milan have been performing above the most optimistic expectations during the first half of the 2019-20 Serie A season. Following the first 17 matches of the campaign, the Nerazzurri sit at the top of the standings with 42 points. They have won 13 of their 17 games while losing just once. That lone defeat came at the expense of the reigning league champions, Juventus.

Furthermore, Antonio Conte’s men own the third-best attack in the league with 36 goals scored – behind Atalanta and Lazio – while also owning the best defensive unit having conceded only 14 goals. That last stat shouldn’t be surprising considering Conte’s reputation as one of the best defensive managers in the world. It seems Inter are well equipped to mount a realistic title challenge now that the calendar has flipped to 2020.

However, that does not mean Inter are flawless. One of the biggest areas of concern for them lies on their central midfield depth. They currently lack a dominant box-to-box midfielder, could use some depth on the defensive midfielder role, and might need some help on the playmaking department as well. Signing a central midfielder sits at the top of Conte’s priorities list during this transfer window.

Two alternatives that would make sense for Inter are Nemanja Matic and Arturo Vidal. Both fit exactly into what Conte wants to do an Inter, and both could fill glaring needs for the Serie A giants. Plus, it also makes sense that their respective teams – Manchester United and FC Barcelona – are reportedly shopping them in case they receive attractive offers.

What could Matic and Vidal add to Inter Milan?

Let’s start with Matic. The Serbian international has played a decent number of minutes for Manchester United over the last few weeks, but he hasn’t been able to settle as a regular starter for the Old Trafford outfit this term. Scott McTominay, Fred, Paul Pogba and even Andreas Pereira have seen more minutes than Matic in the starting unit. At 31, Matic remains a player capable of playing at the highest level. He would be an intriguing option to boost the defensive midfield depth due to his strength and intensity, two traits that would be significantly above average for the Serie A standards.

Meanwhile, Vidal has already experienced success at the Serie A level due to his previous stint at Juventus. He became one of the best midfielders in the world at The Old Lady. He is now featuring for Barca, but he hasn’t had as many minutes as he would have hoped. Consider he is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world and considering his knack for being a scoring threat from a midfield role. He could thrive playing alongside the likes of Marcelo Brozovic and Stefano Sensi. He would be an interesting addition to the side, plus he has played for Conte in the past. In fact, the Chile international reached his best form under Conte’s management.

It remains to be seen whether Inter would have money available to sign both players. But the addition of one – let alone signing both – of these two players would push Inter even closer to a potential Serie A title. Something they haven’t achieved since the 2009-10 season.