Inter's Wage Bill Rises by €4.3 Million, Frattesi in Red-Hot Form, Are Juventus Regretting It?

Following their perfect performances in this summer's friendlies and an unbeaten start to the Serie A season, Inter are about to begin their Champions League campaign, with the players preparing to travel away for the match. Although Inter defeated Real Betis in a friendly, and Betis later beat Real Madrid, this does not mean Inter can confidently expect to defeat Real Madrid. Before the match, head coach Cristian Chivu stressed the importance of respecting Real Madrid, saying Inter need to be fully prepared and remain focused, avoid being affected by the opponent's tempo, and ensure their own tactical style is not disrupted.

Chivu revealed that Marcus Thuram's physical recovery is going well, which is undoubtedly positive news for Inter. He also said that he received support from Jose Mourinho during his playing career, praising him as a great coach. Now as a manager himself, Chivu is also working to help players develop, showing his potential as a coach.

In order to achieve good results in the Champions League, Inter brought in several strong new signings this summer. They also gave a young player a salary increase and contract extension, causing the team's total wage bill to rise by €4.3 million compared with last season. Italian media statistics this year show that Inter's total player wages for the 2025-26 season have reached €141.5 million, ranking first, followed by Juventus at €123 million and Napoli at €110.1 million.

Inter recently officially announced a contract extension with Pio, with the new deal lasting until 2032. His annual after-tax salary has almost doubled to €3 million, compared with €1.2 million previously. According to the latest reports, Inter's total player wages for the 2026-27 season are expected to reach €145.8 million, slightly higher than Juventus' €145.5 million. Although Juventus' total wage bill has increased by more than €20 million compared with last season, the results do not appear to have met expectations. Some fans have even expressed disappointment, criticizing the management for bringing in some highly paid but ineffective players. Juventus have scored only four goals in the new Serie A season, the same as Lazio, while Lazio's total wage bill is only €69.87 million and they have achieved three consecutive wins.

Meanwhile, Frattesi, who moved from Inter to Lazio, has been in excellent form, scoring three goals in four matches, with all three league goals being decisive. His outstanding performances naturally raise the question of whether Juventus' management regrets missing out on him. Luciano Spalletti had originally hoped to bring in Frattesi, and the player himself was willing to join Juventus, but the opportunity was eventually abandoned because Frattesi was considered not to fit the team's needs. This led Frattesi to choose Lazio, who showed strong interest and could provide enough playing time and tactical planning despite having no European competition.

Frattesi faced Mantova in his Lazio debut. Although he did not have much influence on the pitch at the time, he became a key figure in each of his next three Serie A matches, helping rescue Gattuso's team and winning the affection of local fans. After helping Lazio defeat Udinese, he was named Man of the Match. Gattuso is looking forward to the next game against AC Milan and hopes to continue achieving positive results. Can he bring happy memories to Inter fans?

Although Frattesi has excellent attacking runs and finishing ability, while Chivu places greater emphasis on midfielders with strong ball-carrying ability, Inter's decision to let Frattesi go was clearly related to tactical system compatibility rather than a lack of ability from the player. Juventus' missed opportunity has allowed Lazio to benefit.