Aleksandar Stankovic will form part of Inter’s senior squad next season after the Serie A club exercised their buy-back clause to re-sign the midfielder from Club Brugge. Manager Cristian Chivu, who previously coached the player in the Nerazzurri youth ranks, has warmly welcomed the return of the 2005-born Serbia international.
The deal is worth €23 million in total, though Inter’s net outlay stands at €13 million once the €10 million the Belgian champions paid for his initial move a year earlier is deducted. Stankovic, the youngest son of Inter legend Dejan Stankovic, arrives back at San Siro following a breakout campaign abroad.
Speaking at his season-opening press conference, Chivu expressed hope that Stankovic could mirror Pio Esposito’s progression into the first team. “I hope so for him and for myself,” he said. “He worked in our youth sector, he made a brave choice going abroad and had two important seasons. He has matured, I can’t wait to see him on the pitch.”
Positional evolution in Belgium
Stankovic returns having significantly adapted his game during his time at Club Brugge. Initially developed as a deep-lying organiser who screened the defence and dictated tempo with vertical passing, he evolved into a more advanced midfielder capable of arriving behind the strikers and shooting from range.
This versatility offers Chivu tactical flexibility as he manages Inter’s engine room. Stankovic provides a genuine alternative to Hakan Calhanoglu as the central pivot, a development that would allow Petar Sucic to compete with Piotr Zielinski for the mezzala space vacated by Henrikh Mkhitaryan rather than being dragged into a defensive role.
Path to first-team minutes
With Davide Frattesi’s departure long mooted, Stankovic could also deputise for Nicolò Barella on the right side of midfield, where his striking ability from distance—an attribute that runs in the family—would add another dimension to the side’s attacking threat.
Chivu has indicated that Stankovic’s integration will follow a gradual approach, similar to the pathway afforded to Sucic last season, with no rush to throw him into the starting eleven prematurely. For a player who has often said that wearing the Inter shirt was his childhood dream, the forthcoming campaign offers the opportunity to prove he belongs at the club where his father became a legend.