Will Inter Milan's Premier League plan help them end 17-year wait?

I Nerazzurri enter the 2026.27 campaign as favourites, but there promises to be improvement in the chasing pack, with Roma, AC Milan and Como all strengthening this summer.

This transfer window has seen an intriguing approach from Inter as they have targeted Premier League talent, with three players secured and one in the offing.

But is it a plan that will work, and can it help them achieve something they have failed to do since 2010?

Inter Milan eyeing Serie A history

Inter have won three of the last six Serie A titles (20/21, 23/24, 25/26), with Napoli (2) and AC Milan the other clubs to triumph.

However, despite their recent success, I Nerazzurri have failed to retain their title since the 09/10 campaign when Jose Mourinho led the club to the Serie A, Champions League and Coppa Italia treble.

Mourinho was presented as Real Madrid manager just nine days later, and Inter had to wait 11 years before winning another league title.

Indeed, Juventus are the only team to have retained the trophy since 2010, with the Old Lady lifting nine straight titles between 2011 and 2020.

While achieving such a feat is unlikely, Christian Chivu will be striving to make a dent in Juventus' record and has followed an unusual plan to do so.

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Inter's English job

Signing English players from the Premier League is nothing new for Serie A sides, but it has certainly become a growing trend over the last 15 years.

Since 2020, 21 Englishmen have swapped the Premier League for Serie A, with seven players making the switch during the 24/25 season, the most of any campaign.

Inter have already completed three signings from the English top flight: Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Djed Spence, with the imminent arrival of Curtis Jones from Liverpool.

If that transfer goes through, then not only would I Nerazzurri have signed the most players from the Premier League in one window, but it would also be the most English acquisitions by any Italian club in the same period.

Will John Stones, Djed Spence and Curtis Jones be a success?

There is not exactly a stellar list of English names that have headed to Italy of late, but Scotland's Scott McTominay has certainly adapted strongly to Italian football.

What stands out about Stones, Spence and Jones is that they are a talented collective and boast experience at the highest club and international levels.

Stones certainly appears to be the standout coup for Inter, given what he has achieved and the other clubs that were reportedly after him, but he has a poor fitness record that threatens to stunt his success.

Of course, if he can benefit from a mostly injury-free season with the champions, then he should be the most influential of the trio.

For me, Spence is the most fascinating, as he has enjoyed the best couple of seasons in his club career but most notably was a revelation for England this summer up and down the wing.

The full-back does have previous in Italy, having made 16 appearances during a short-term loan spell for Genoa in the 23/24 season, but it was an inconsistent one for the defender.

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Then there is Jones, who seemed hellbent on succeeding at boyhood club Liverpool but was never truly able to cement a regular starting place under Jurgen Klopp or Arne Slot.

On the surface, all three look promising signings and should make their mark in Italy, but if the gamble backfires, then it could mark the end of the transfer approach.

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