Inter more than meet transfer targets

Inter more than achieved their target over the transfer market, making a profit of €120m and cutting their wage bill by €25m.

President Steven Zhang had warned just days after winning the Scudetto that the financial situation at the club was dire.

He set the objectives of at least €70m profit on the transfer market and to cut the overall salaries by 15-20 per cent.

Selling Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea for €115m plus bonuses and Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain for €60m plus up to another €10m in add-ons generated huge revenue.

Income was also brought in from Matteo Politano’s Napoli obligation to buy for €19m and Sampdoria completing Antonio Candreva’s transfer for €2.5m.

Calculating all the sales, as well as the deals they struck to bring new players into the club, Inter made profits of €120m from fees alone.

It is also worked out that Inter sliced €25m off their wage bill, even though some of those agreements seemed as if they would not be good business.

For example, coach Antonio Conte did terminate his €13m per season contract, but still received €7.5m to walk away.

A great deal of money was saved by terminating player contracts by mutual consent, for example Radja Nainggolan, while others such as Ashley Young were simply released.

Joao Mario had his contract terminated by mutual consent, amid controversy, while Henrique Dalbert and Valentino Lazaro were only sent on loan.