Inter will host Napoli at San Siro on Saturday for the first big match of the 2026-2027 Serie A season (you can catch the action on CBS), in a clash that should offer an early indication of both clubs' ambitions as the new campaign gets underway. The two sides had a different summer. Inter, despite the title won under Cristian Chivu in his first season in charge of the Italian giants, decided to make some changes in the roster.
At the same time, Napoli basically didn't touch the squad but made a much bigger shift as former coach Antonio Conte left his job and was replaced by Massimiliano Allegri, who kicked things off with one away win against Genoa, and one defeat at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona against Como. While the Azzurri will face Arsenal in another key test later this week, Inter are still adapting to a new squad. Chivu's biggest challenge will be integrating the new arrivals as quickly as possible, especially with a demanding schedule on the horizon.
The Nerazzurri will travel to the Bernabeu on Tuesday to face Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in an exciting and nostalgic reunion with the manager who brought the Champions League back to Milan after a 45-year wait, lifting the trophy in the same stadium in 2010 before leaving to join Real Madrid for the first time. Here's what Chivu needs to do, and what are the issues he will face in the coming weeks: Inter had to replace Denzel Dumfries in the summer, a key player over the past years since he joined in the summer of 2021 to replace Achraf Hakimi when the Moroccan star joined PSG after winning the Scudetto under Antonio Conte. Dumfries signed for Real Madrid and Inter struggled to sign their new right back after failing to reach an agreement with Atalanta for Marco Palestra, who instead opted to join Chelsea.
Later, Anan Khalaili's move also fell through after he failed his medical examination, despite Inter and Union SG having reached an agreement over the transfer. With less than a month to go before the end of the summer transfer window, Inter ended up signing Djed Spence from Tottenham, one of the most surprising players of Thomas Tuchel's England at the 2026 World Cup. Alongside Spence, Inter have also signed two other English players -- defender John Stones after his contract with Manchester City expired and Curtis Jones from Liverpool for around $35 million.
They're three English players who can improve the quality of the roster, but who also need to adapt to a new country, language and league in the shortest time possible. Speaking about the plans to integrate them shortly during the pre-match press conference, Chivu said: "I've learned not to make plans. There's a bit of concern about what hasn't happened during my management of the group in these two games.
You're curious about Spence, Jones and Stones. I'm curious about Carlos Augusto and Mkhitaryan, who haven't come on yet, and about those who have always been a fundamental part of the group over the years and in what they show on a daily basis. Stones and Jones are doing well; you've seen them on the pitch for spells.
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