Midfielder Davide Frattesi has been decisive from the bench for Inter Milan, and will now hope to step up to being a starter.
The 24-year-old’s season is highlighted in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews.
Frattesi arrived at Inter from Sassuolo last summer for a fee of over €30 million.
The size of that fee was certainly a reflection of the degree to which the Nerazzurri see the Italian international as a player to build around for the future.
In his first season at the San Siro, the question of whether Frattesi has delivered for the fee is a complicated one.
The 24-year-old has not had the same kind of role as Benjamin Pavard, for example.
The Frenchman came in for a similar transfer fee from Bayern Munich. And he has become a key cog in Inter’s starting eleven, surely justifying the price tag.
That is not true of Frattesi. The former Sassuolo man has started just a handful of Serie A matches.
But that does not mean that Frattesi has not made his contribution.
Davide Frattesi Stars From The Bench For Inter Milan – Now Targeting Starting Role
The biggest reason why Frattesi hasn’t started often this season is the trio ahead of him in the pecking order.
Nerazzurri coach Simone Inzaghi has been reluctant to drop any of Nicolo Barella, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, or Hakan Calhanoglu from the lineup.
Therefore, Frattesi has largely featured from the bench.
But when the 24-year-old has played, he has had more than just cameo appearances as a substitute.
Frattesi has scored two stoppage time winners for Inter in Serie A already. These came against Hellas Verona and Udinese.
Now, the Italian’s task will be to turn that form into more starts next season.
Frattesi will still have competition for places next campaign – particularly with Piotr Zielinski’s arrival. But he looks well-placed to carve out a spot for himself.
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