Davide Frattesi is in a curious situation this season, as he is the top scorer of Luciano Spalletti’s Italy reign, yet cannot get into the Inter team.
The midfielder was in the starting XI for last night’s 3-1 Nations League victory over France in Paris and he scored the goal that put them 2-1 up, sliding on to the Mateo Retegui assist.
He had nearly found the net earlier on in the match with a header that came off the crossbar.
It means that Frattesi is now the top scorer for Italy under coach Spalletti, finding the net five times in 14 games.
Frattesi flourishing for Italy
The former Sassuolo player turns 25 next month and has become a key figure for the Nazionale, yet can’t find room at club level.
Inter paid €34m plus bonuses to sign Frattesi from Sassuolo in 2023, on loan with obligation to buy, but of his 45 competitive appearances for the club, only 11 were in the starting line-up.
Juventus and Atletico Madrid had tried to make an approach for Frattesi over the summer, but Inter were adamant he had to remain as part of the squad.
It is tough for him to break ahead of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and now Piotr Zielinski has joined from Napoli too.