Marcelo Brozovic has reached his peak at Inter and Richard Hall urges the Nerazzurri to tie down the Croat to a new contract to avoid unwanted surprises by top European clubs.
All the focus was on Inter’s full-backs after the win at Empoli. Both Danilo D’Ambrosio and Federico Dimarco had come up with the goals and given the Nerazzurri a much deserved 2-0 win. Empoli had started the game fiercely and one thing was clear from the off, they were putting all the focus and physical pressure on Marcelo Brozovic.
This is because, once again this season, the Croatian has improved, evolved and delivered, so much so, some of Europe’s elite clubs are once again hovering.
Brozovic has a contract with Inter that runs out in June 2022. Beppe Marotta had been keen to announce that talks would take place after the game against Empoli as they seriously want to retain his services. He turns 29 in November and this will be his last big contract one would think. It has been reported that the Croatian wants €6m a season to sign whilst the club want to offer €4.5m plus add ons that would take it to €5m.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, his salary would increase year on year to reach €6m by 20205. Barcelona and Manchester United are reportedly interested in securing his services. Il Corriere dello Sport even mentioned Milan last month. However, the Serie A champions are confident Brozovic will eventually commit his future to the Nerazzurri. Inter will be keen to get this resolved as he has again shown how important he is to the system Simone Inzaghi plays this season.
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The Croatian midfielder hasn’t always had the easiest times at Inter, his time under Frank De Boer was particularly testing for him and there was talk about him leaving the club after being accused of unprofessionalism and discipline. He is also more well known for his self-proclaimed #Epicbrozovic and the fact that he ‘created’ the art of lying down behind the wall when a free-kick from Barcelona came in the Champions League. He has been divisive with the fans, in 2017-18 he was booed by the fans after playing against Bologna, he clapped back sarcastically and was fined for his troubles. It hasn’t been an easy ride.
In an Inter career that has lasted six years, seen him play over 200 games and see him part of the Inter team that won the first Scudetto in a decade, it is bizarre that the above incidents are what define him. That is perhaps until now. His performances for club and country are now becoming even more noticeable, but why is that? Has he always had these capabilities? He has not reinvented the wheel, he has not suddenly gained more ability, but he has finally added consistency to his ability.
To call him a defensive midfielder is doing him a disservice, he is much more than this. He has a passing range that Xavi Alonso would respect and he is tough in the tackle and has a huge engine. It was evident that against Empoli, they immediately tried to shut him down and put pressure on him from the start, quite literally kicking him out of the game.
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They did this because he usually sits just in front of the defence and when he breaks down play, he is the lynchpin who has the ‘quarter back’ ability to play long forward cross-field balls that unleash the forwards or the wingers. Considering the complexity of the passing range he has, it is quite incredible that his passing completion percentage is 93%.
He may not score that many goals: 20 in 208 games is not bad but that isn’t his job. However, what he brings to the team is crucial to the way Inter counter-attacks. His ability to keep hold of the ball, do the simple and the sublime (depending on what’s needed) allows the other players to break out. Even when (as at Empoli) players put pressure on him, he is intelligent enough to communicate with other midfielders and switch positions or occupy a deeper position and stretch the opposition.
Brozovic’s contract is expected to be renewed but Inter cannot be complacent. A player who can operate this role that consistently is rare and that is why he has many elite suitors. The days of controversy seem to be gone and he is now playing some of the best football of his career. Inter have no more time to lose.
There are several valuable players set to leave for free from Serie A next summer. It’s bad news, given how broke the clubs in Italy already are.
Milan lost a fortune last summer with Donnarumma and Calhanoglu, and Kessie and Romagnoli look like they could be next. That’s up to 170m they’ve lost in a year in potential sales.
Brozovic, Dybala, Insigne, Belotti, Frueler, Romagnoli, Boga, Bernardeschi are all available for free, amongst others.
Unfortunately Mbappe, the biggest Bosman, won’t be coming to Serie A. Hopefully Pogba won’t either, as he’s turned into a waster. Dembele is talented but has attitude and injury problems. Christensen, Rudiger, Kamara, Zakaria and Denayer would be worth looking at for Serie A sides.
christensen rudiger playing as first team squad for chealsea who playing every weeks, why will they choose coming to series a who offer less wage than what they currently earned? or maybe they getting offered new contract by chelsea or other english club with better salary. And chelsea under tuchel will be competing all fronts on multiple competitions while series a club wont winning UCL for anytime soon. its doenst make sense they left chelsea for series a. if that happened they going to PSG or spanish clubs or other english clubs not italian.