It’s been known for a while now that Cédric, loaned to Inter by Southampton, wasn’t going to be retained by the Serie A side come the end of the season.
In fact, the first murmurs emerged a week or so after he signed for the Italian club, who have focused their attention elsewhere when searching for Joao Cancelo’s replacement.
Calciomercato confirm the final decision revealed by Gazzetta dello Sport last week, but they also add some reasoning as to why Luciano Spalletti and co. decided sending the Portugal international back to St Mary’s is for the best.
While Cédric did ‘settle in well’ at the club, Inter don’t consider him as an ‘improvement’ for next year’s squad, and spending €11m on a player that doesn’t add anything to what you already have isn’t a financially sound decision for them (nor should it be for anyone, to be honest).
The Italians would rather spend more time looking for the right man to take them forward, especially if they compete in the Champions League next season, even shelling a little bit more if it means they end up a better team in the long run.
Considering one of their options for the role appears to be Manchester United’s Matteo Darmian, who would cost somewhere around €12m, that remains debatable, but if they feel the former Torino star is better suited for what they want to do, who are we to question them?
All in all, as Calciomercato put it, ‘without leaving a particular mark on his journey with Inter, Cédric goes towards a return to Southampton, who will look to selling him abroad’.
