Inter's Wage Bill Rises by €4.3 Million, Frattesi Scores Three in Four Games: Will Juventus Regret Missing Out?

Following a perfect record in this summer's friendlies and an ideal start to the opening Serie A rounds, Inter are about to begin their Champions League journey and are fully prepared for an away challenge. Although Inter defeated Real Betis, who had previously beaten Real Madrid, this does not mean Inter will be able to easily defeat Real Madrid.

Before the match, Inter head coach Chivu stressed the importance of facing Real Madrid. He said the team must be fully prepared, remain highly focused, and avoid being affected by the opponent's rhythm so as not to lose their own tactical identity. Chivu also revealed that Marcus Thuram's physical condition is gradually improving, which is undoubtedly good news for Inter. In addition, he mentioned that he was deeply influenced by Mourinho during his playing career, calling Mourinho an outstanding coach. Now as a manager himself, Chivu is also working hard to help players and has shown strong coaching ability.

To achieve better results in the Champions League, Inter brought in several reinforcements this summer and gave young players improved contracts, increasing the team's overall wage bill by €4.3 million compared with last season. According to Italian media statistics, Inter's total player salaries for the 2025-26 season reached €141.5 million, ranking first in Serie A, followed by Juventus with €123 million. Napoli, Roma and AC Milan ranked next with €110.1 million, €107.5 million and €104.5 million respectively.

Inter recently officially announced a contract extension with Pirola until 2032, with his after-tax annual salary rising significantly to nearly €3 million from just €1.2 million previously. According to the latest data, Inter's projected player wage bill for the 2026-27 season is €145.8 million, with Juventus slightly behind at €145.5 million. Napoli are projected at €109.7 million, AC Milan at €103.14 million and Roma at €92.7 million.

Although Juventus' total player salaries have increased by more than €20 million compared with last season, the results appear less than satisfactory. Some fans have even criticized the management for hastily signing many high-salary players who have not delivered enough performances. Since the start of the new season, Juventus have scored only four goals in Serie A. Compared with Lazio, who have also scored four goals, Lazio have shown strong form with three wins from three matches while spending only €69.87 million on wages.

Meanwhile, Frattesi, who joined Lazio, has scored three goals in four matches, with all three of his Serie A appearances producing important goals. Given Frattesi's outstanding performances, will Juventus' management regret their decision? Spalletti greatly appreciated Frattesi, and the player himself was willing to join Juventus, but the move ultimately failed because Juventus' management considered him not an urgent need. Frattesi then stopped waiting and chose Lazio, who showed greater sincerity.

Although Lazio do not have European competition this season, they can provide Frattesi with sufficient playing time and design suitable tactics for him. Frattesi had an ordinary performance in his first appearance for Lazio in the Coppa Italia, but then excelled in three consecutive Serie A matches, becoming a key player for the team and earning praise from local fans. After helping Lazio defeat Udinese, Frattesi was named the best player of the match, and Gattuso hopes he can continue to shine in the next game against AC Milan.

Frattesi's main strengths are his excellent forward runs and finishing ability, while Chivu prefers a midfielder with stronger ball-carrying ability. Jones played in nine Champions League matches last season, starting four of them, with a 50% shot accuracy rate and a 63.6% successful dribbling rate, which earned Chivu's trust. Inter did not give up on Frattesi because of a lack of ability, but because he did not fit the team's tactical system. Unfortunately, Juventus missed an excellent opportunity and allowed Lazio to benefit.