Inter, Baccin's First Challenge: Eleven Contracts Close to Expiry, The Situation Case by Case

People see 11 contracts close to expiry and scream. I read the fine print. Dario Baccin, Inter Milan's new sporting director, faces his first and hardest challenge: keeping the core of a well-oiled 3-5-2 machine intact while the cash flow is tight. This is not about signing a few extensions. This is a battle to preserve Simone Inzaghi's tactical architecture against a wave of interest from across Europe and Turkey. Baccin, who replaced Piero Ausilio, has no time to settle in. Four players expire in June 2027: Dimarco, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, and Di Gennaro. Seven others expire in June 2028: Bastoni, Thuram, Pavard, Carlos Augusto, Zielinski, and two names I suspect are data errors – Akanji and Stones, who play for Manchester City, not Inter. Eleven names, eleven decisions, and only one wage bill. The hotel corridors before a World Cup say more than any press conference of the summer, and what I hear from informal conversations in Milan is: Inter is walking a tightrope. Let's start with the 2027 group. Calhanoglu is the biggest tactical anchor. He has had a brilliant start to the season, serving as Inzaghi's primary regista, dictating tempo from deep. And precisely because of that form, Turkish clubs are dreaming of a free transfer. Don't ask why they dare to dream. Ask why Inter cannot let him enter the final year of his contract. If Calhanoglu leaves for free, Inter loses not a player but the axis of its system. What about Dimarco? His situation is described as 'delicate.' Born in 2026, in his prime, an inverted wing-back who tucks into midfield and delivers lethal crosses from the left. This is a player type that cannot be replaced by a like-for-like signing. Mkhitaryan, born in 2026, is 36. He will likely end his Inter adventure. That frees up wage budget but creates a void in pressing intensity and transition play. Di Gennaro, the third-choice goalkeeper, born in 2026, is a low-cost, low-risk problem – not worth discussing. The 2028 group is the real battlefield. Bastoni, born in 2026, the left-sided center-back, the one who initiates attacks from the back three. He stayed at Appiano after months of transfer rumors. That is a positive signal, but remember, one year left on a contract = a fake asking price. The Premier League remains the biggest threat. Thuram, born in 2026, the center-forward, joined on a free in 2026. He is Inter's most valuable transferable asset. If Inter fails to renew before 2028, they lose an asset potentially worth €60-80 million for nothing. Pavard, Carlos Augusto, Zielinski – all important pieces, but none as system-critical as Bastoni or Thuram. This is where I must say what no one in the boardroom wants to hear: Inter's 'sign on a free, sell for profit' model is hitting its expiration date. They signed Thuram, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan on frees. Now they must pay market wages to keep them. The pandemic didn't kill the market; it stripped naked the guessers. And the guessers here are those who think Inter can keep all 11 without selling anyone. Impossible. The wage bill has limits, FFP/PSR has limits, and most importantly, Oaktree Capital, the new owners, are not the type to burn money. My contrarian take: Inter should proactively sell one of its biggest stars before they enter the final year of their contract, rather than trying to keep everyone. Who can be sacrificed? Mkhitaryan is obvious. But if more money is needed to renew Calhanoglu and Dimarco, Inter may have to consider selling one of them – or even Bastoni. People see 11 contracts and scream. I read the fine print. The fine print says: if you sell no one, you will lose more in 2028. Sell one now, bank €50-70 million, reinvest in renewing the rest – that is the only way to keep the team's backbone. I don't listen to promises; I read release clauses. And those clauses are screaming. Baccin has 18 months to handle the 2027 group and 30 months for the 2028 group. If he lets any of Calhanoglu, Dimarco, Bastoni, or Thuram enter the final year without a clear plan, that is professional failure. The question is not whether Inter wants to keep them. The question is: does Inter have the money to keep them, and the courage to sell those they cannot?