Lautaro, Thuram late? Inter ready to use Taremi as new No. 9
Inter’s first-choice strikers Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram will take advantage of the 21 days granted by the club to all players involved in Copa America and the European Championship.
In the event of a double finals – Lautaro on July 15 in Miami to try for the third trophy in a row with Argentina, Frenchman Thuram on July 14 in Berlin to make up for the World Cup loss to his teammate – the two's vacation would come close to the official start of the season: Lautaro and Marcus would return to Appiano no earlier than August 5-6, about 10 days before the start of the Serie A season, on the 17th. Regardless of when they arrive, Mahdi Taremi will be there to welcome them: When Inter starts working on July 13, he will be there. And he will have a mission to complete: To use the entire preseason available to convince head coach Simone Inzaghi to focus on him immediately.
The timing with which they moved on Viale della Liberazione gave him the first assist, and Taremi collected it as he does in the penalty area. He started studying Italian to speed up the settling in process, he passed through Milan on more than one occasion to look for a house (mission accomplished), above all he had the opportunity to meet Inzaghi.
"The coach and I spoke,” said the former Porto center forward, adding: “Working with him will be exciting. Watching Inter on TV I had the impression of a strong, compact team, with a good feeling between the group and the coach."
Inzaghi and his staff also got ahead with the work: Taremi was studied remotely and the video analyses confirmed that the insertion could materialize without too many difficulties. Because Mahdi can play as a pure center forward or as a second striker, he can provide depth or act as a reference in the area, he scores and makes others score. In other words, everything that Lautaro and Thuram pumped into Inter's engine during the Scudetto race.
And they will continue to pump up next season, of course. Because the starters in the attack will remain them, even when things start to get serious: Even if they start last (in the event of a double final in the national team), Lautaro and Thuram will have the legs, experience and tactical knowledge to help Inter get off to a good start.
Taremi, however, is the luxury option that Inzaghi couldn't afford last year: Neither Arnautovic nor Sanchez offered enough guarantees to promote real rotations up front. Taremi's hiring was born from this need: Simone expects to work with an extra starter in the department. And it is precisely for this reason that the Nerazzurri managers moved a year in advance: The operation turned out to be a deal from an economic point of view (the Iranian arrived without any transfer fees) and it could also become one from a technical point of view.
Provided that the former Porto player maintains his old habits: Always in double figures since he played in Europe, a goal every 185 minutes in the Champions League (better than Lautaro and Thuram, respectively a goal every 259 and 353 minutes).
"Other clubs in Italy, the Premier League and Spain approached me, but I immediately said yes to Inter," said Taremi. Inter now expect the Iranian to be just as quick on the pitch: Ready right away, goal right away.
This article was originally published on La Gazzetta dello Sport.