Inter face defensive rebuild after Sommer, Acerbi, Darmian and de Vrij departures

June 30 : Serie A's Inter Milan are preparing for a generational overhaul in the new season after announcing the departures of Stefan de Vrij, Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi and Yann Sommer when their contracts expired on Tuesday.

Replacing the 37-year-old goalkeeper Sommer might be the most pressing priority for the current Serie A and Coppa Italia champions. The Switzerland international, who arrived from Bayern Munich in August 2023 to replace Andre Onana, made 139 appearances for Inter and kept 66 clean sheets across his three seasons in Milan.

He quickly established himself as a key playmaker from the back, adapting seamlessly to the build-ups from deep favoured by managers Simone Inzaghi and Cristian Chivu. Inter are said to be looking to recruit Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, or hand the long-term role to current understudy Josep Martínez.

The exits of Acerbi, 38, and de Vrij, 34, leave the central defensive unit requiring a complete overhaul. The veteran pair were part of a three-man rotating backline that was a vital part of last season's success.

Darmian, 36, struggled last season with injuries and had little playing time.