Inter head coach Cristian Chivu says his side will start the 2026-27 Serie A campaign as “the team to beat”, while urging the club’s directors to remain patient as they work to complete their summer transfer business.
Inter will begin their title defence against Monza on 22 August, just over two weeks away, but first face two pre-season friendlies. The next of those is Saturday’s Derby d’Italia against Juventus in Perth, which kicks off at 12:00 BST and 21:00 local time.
Speaking on the eve of the meeting with their Italian rivals, Chivu said Inter still needed to make additions to the squad but believed there was sufficient time before the league season began.
“We’re still missing a few pieces, and we still have a few weeks to get ourselves into the best possible shape for the opening league match,” Chivu told Inter’s media channels.
“The most important thing so far is that we’ve had very few physical issues. At the moment, that’s the most encouraging aspect, and we’re happy about that.”
Inter have been linked with further recruitment after the departure of Denzel Dumfries, with the club yet to replace the Netherlands international at right wing-back. Chivu said the club had not set a specific deadline for filling that position.
“We haven’t set a deadline,” Chivu admitted. “We know we need to be patient. We’d made our choices, but different circumstances meant those moves didn’t materialise. We’re working to find someone who can bring greater quality and experience. We’ll let our sporting directors do their job.”
Chivu also dismissed any suggestion that Inter’s transfer activity had been held up by the need to move on players who are no longer wanted.
The former Romania international said the club remained composed and was looking for additions capable of strengthening a group that had already developed a strong bond.
“We’ve been calm from the start, and we know the quality we have in the squad. We need to raise the level and bring in players who can fit into an already close-knit group that has achieved great things. We’ll do our best to complete a puzzle that, at the moment, is still missing a few pieces.”
Asked which teams could challenge Inter for the Serie A title, Chivu said the familiar contenders would again be expected to compete, but placed the pressure firmly on the champions.
“I haven’t quite worked that one out yet. It’s the usual teams, the ones who want to make life difficult for the reigning Italian champions. We’re the team to beat.
“Tomorrow is a friendly, a match that will help with our preparations. We want to see a good level of fitness and some of our principles of play, even if the legs aren’t fresh and we’re not yet operating at full capacity.”
The Juventus fixture will provide another opportunity for Chivu to assess his players before the competitive campaign begins. He said the priority was to give everyone valuable playing time rather than settle on a fixed line-up.
“We need minutes. The best thing we can do is give everyone as many minutes as possible. I don’t have a fixed starting XI; I rotated throughout last season as well. There aren’t eleven guaranteed starters. The choices depend on the situation, the opposition, the number of games in a short space of time and the players’ fitness.”
Chivu will also come up against Luciano Spalletti at the weekend and said he expected to greet the former Inter manager before the match.
“We’re all focused on our preparations. I’ll say hello to Spalletti tomorrow.”
