Inter Picked Youth Product Over Trying to Sign Hojlund | OneFootball

Inter contemplated for a while making a splash to shore up their attack in the summer, weighing some fallback options after they gave up the chase for Ademola Lookman, and kicking the tires for Rasmus Hojlund in particular. They ultimately didn’t and trusted Francesco Pio Esposito, Calciomercato informs.

The youngster appears to have already surpassed Ange-Yoan Bonny in the pecking order. He got the nod while Lautaro Martinez needed a breather due to back pain. While he didn’t score in his two starts, he had excellent performances and looked in sync with his teammates.

Inter decided to keep Esposito early in the summer following a splendid Serie B campaign, during which he bagged 19 goals. However, his role and prominence were to be determined by their possible moves.

The starlet won over Christian Chivu during the pre-season preparation. The coach and the brass didn’t feel the need to add another forward. They pivoted toward shoring up the midfield and, after striking out for Manu Koné, they acquired Andy Diouf from Lens for €20M.

Instead, Hojlund transferred to Napoli for about €50M late in the summer to help replace Romelu Lukaku. Milan were after him as well, but the Partenopei were a lot more determined.

Our Take on Inter, Hojlund, and Esposito

Stranger things have happened, and perhaps they would have signed the Dane with a different formula, but it’s hard to imagine they would have spent that much for a striker who’s fairly similar to their two stars, only worse. Besides the obvious financial benefits, their youth product has diverse and complementary characteristics that make him an excellent fit. His familiarity with Chivu surely doesn’t hurt.