With Philippe Coutinho set to return to San Siro with Barcelona on Tuesday, Goal selects the Nerazzurri's most infamous transfer gaffes
Getty ImagesDennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp was arguably the hottest prospect in world football when he joined Inter from Ajax in 1993.
However, the Dutchman forward struggled to both score goals and come to terms with the demanding nature of the Italian press, resulting in one paper renaming their 'Donkey of the Week' award 'Bergkamp of the Week'.
The Netherlands ace felt the Nerazzurri were to blame for his poor return, claiming, "They said: 'We're going to play more offensive.' And they did, but only for the first month!"
As a result, Bergkamp was only too happy to leave when Arsenal came calling in 1995.
Inter got £7.5 million for the striker but that proved scant consolation as Bergkamp became an icon in north London by rediscovering his goalscoring touch and, more importantly, wowing the English game with his wondrous ball control.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLeonardo Bonucci
Nobody would question the wisdom of Inter's decision to sign Thiago Motta and Diego Milito from Genoa in 2009.
However, the Nerazzurri erred badly during the negotiations by agreeing to sell Leonardo Bonucci to the Rossoblu for just €4 million.
The then 22-year-old was coming off the back of an impressive six-month loan spell at Pisa, where coach Gian Piero Ventura had quickly realised Bonucci was a special breed: "He's a centre-half who thinks like a midfielder."
As a result, Ventura was delighted when his new club Bari snapped up Bonucci before he'd even played a game for Genoa.
Bonucci excelled once again under the future Italy coach and, inside a year, he had joined Juventus for €15.5m.
The 31-year-old has since proven himself one of the finest ball-playing centre-halves in the world, much to the embarrassment of Inter.
Getty/GoalFabio Cannavaro
Exactly why Inter felt compelled to swap Fabio Cannavaro for Juventus goalkeeper Fabian Carini in 2004 remains shrouded in mystery.
It has even been claimed that former Bianconeri director Luciano Moggi told Cannavaro to feign injury in order to persuade the Nerazzurri to cut their losses on the centre-half, who had disappointed in the two seasons that followed his €23m transfer from Parma.
However, that story doesn't really explain why Inter felt Carini, who had spent the previous two seasons on loan at Standard Liege, was worth €10m, as much as Cannavaro. It remains one of the most bizarre valuations in football history and former president Massimo Moratti has never lived it down.
Of course, Cannavaro, who has always insisted that Inter "wanted Carini at all costs", went on to prove himself the best centre-half in the world, winning the World Cup in 2006 before leaving for Real Madrid after Juve were relegated from Serie A for their involvement in Calciopoli.
As for Carini, the Uruguayan made just four appearances for Inter before being allowed to join Murcia in 2007.
GettyRoberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos has long blamed one man and one man alone for Inter's ludicrous decision to sell him to Real Madrid in 1996 for just €6m.
“It's not that I did not have a good relationship with Roy Hodgson," the Brazilian said of the former Nerazzurri coach. "It is just that Hodgson doesn't know much about football."
The former England manager wanted Roberto Carlos to play as a winger but the thunder-thighed South American only felt comfortable at left-back, where he was first-choice for the Selecao.
"I spoke to (Inter president) Massimo Moratti to see if he could sort things out and it soon became clear that the only solution was to leave," he revealed.
So, Roberto Carlos joined Real Madrid, where he would spend the next 11 years proving himself one of the greatest left-backs of all time.