Should Man Utd copy Inter's low-cost strategy of signing veterans?

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 29 May 2025 12:57 BST
• 6 min read

Features

Inter Milan have no business being in the Champions League final.

Economically, it is a massive overachievement when you compare their finances to not only Saturday’s opponents PSG but Europe’s other major clubs.

According to the 2025 Deloitte Football Money League, Inter are the 14th richest club in Europe.

They made €391 million during the 2023-24 season. That is €414.9m less than PSG. It is €654.5m less than the world’s richest club Real Madrid, who became the first club in football history to generate more than €1 billion in annual revenue.

Inter also generate €379.6m less money in annual revenue than Manchester United.

Deloitte Money League 2025

But while Inter could become European champions, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ruben Amorim and the Manchester United squad will watch the final on television after yet another disastrous season.

United finished 2024-25 in 15th place and trophyless, which represents their worst season since relegation in 1974.

Inter, meanwhile, were in the race for the treble until the final weeks of the season and will play in their second Champions League final in three years.

When you consider the finances that Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has to work with, it is miraculous that the Nerazzurri find themselves in this position.

Marotta has built this successful squad under Simone Inzaghi (who replaced Antonio Conte in 2021) through many low-cost signings, free transfers and even loans.

The ex-Juventus transfer chief has regularly moved for experienced and often ageing players who do not need time to develop.

Inter have the oldest squad in Italy and the Champions League but, as they showed in their dramatic semi final success over Barcelona, this experience and know-how often proves decisive.

In 2023, Marotta sold Onana to Man Utd for €55m and replaced him with a 35-year-old Yann Sommer for €6.75m. While Onana has flopped at United, Sommer has been one of Europe’s best goalkeepers at Inter as again shown in that semi final versus Barcelona.

The year before, Marotta signed a 33-year-old Francesco Acerbi from Lazio on loan with a €3.5m obligation. Recently turned 37, he remains one of Europe’s most formidable centre backs, memorably scoring the injury time equaliser against Barcelona that forced extra time.

In 2022, Marotta also signed a 33-year-old Henrikh Mkhitaryan on a free transfer from Roma. At this point he was someone who had been deemed past his best when he left Man Utd four years earlier. But the Armenian has largely been fantastic for Inter.

The free transfer market has been utilised heavily by Marotta. Powerhouse attacker Marcus Thuram, midfield playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu and defender Stefan de Vrij all arrived on a Bosman and became top players for Inter. Piotr Zielinski and Mehdi Taremi also arrived for nothing, while Nicola Zalewski has been excellent after joining on loan from Roma in January.

This is how Marotta has built this Champions League-challenging team.

Compare that to Man Utd who have blown a fortune over the last decade or more on expensive flops.

This past season United have spent €246m on new players, only to finish 15th and win nothing.

Inter have spent €20m on new players, the rest being free transfers or obligations/installments from earlier deals.

In 2023-24, United spent €210m. In 2022-23, United blew €243m.

In recent times, there are numerous examples of young talents moving to United for exorbitant sums only to fail miserably. Rasmus Hojlund, Jason Sancho and Antony are just three examples.

This summer United will not have the same amount of money to spend as recent years due to their failure to qualify for the Champions League and amidst PSR concerns.

Perhaps, in such a climate, United should consider going more down the Marotta route of shrewder, more experienced and older players who do not need time to develop or settle?

It is perhaps true that the Marotta method may work better in Italy where the pace of the game is slower and that in the Premier League you need younger legs.

But there can be no doubt that where Man Utd have failed miserably despite being one of the richest clubs in the world, an Inter team full of free transfers and veterans have flourished.

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