​Inter have retained only one veteran whose contract was expiring, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, while Yann Sommer, Francesco Acerbi, Stefan De Vrij, and Matteo Darmian all left the club on June 30. According to Calciomercato, the Armenian midfielder agreed to a significantly reduced salary after earning €4 million last year. He had considered retirement but chose to continue and will earn roughly half of his previous pay in 2026/2027. In contrast, the Dutch defender declined a similar offer and swiftly accepted a move to Panathinaikos. The two Italians are also weighing their options in the coming days, with plans to keep playing. Inter had even offered a front-office role to the fullback.
Inter aren’t abandoning their midfield strategy, and Curtis Jones remains the priority despite a substantial gap in negotiations with Liverpool, per Corriere dello Sport. Nottingham Forest has shown interest as well, with reports that they are about to sell Elliot Anderson to Manchester City. However, Jones reportedly prefers Inter or other Champions League contenders. Christian Chivu even suggested pursuing him after facing Liverpool last season.
Mkhitaryan is set for his fifth season at San Siro, adding to his spells with Roma and in the Premier League with Manchester United and Arsenal. He has recorded 12 goals and 21 assists in 187 appearances for the current Italian champions. Our take on Inter and Mkhitaryan is that the club’s decision not to retain either center-back heightens the need to recruit two solid defenders. Treating Jones as more of a midfield upgrade than an immediate necessity is sensible, so pursuing him can be a prudent long-term plan while remaining open to other options.