Assessing Inter's Options at Left Wingback

A season which began with such promising beginnings for Inter - winning the first six Serie A matches Antonio Conte took charge of - ended in demoralising circumstances as the Nerazzurri squandered a lead in their Europa League final defeat at the hands of Sevilla.

Conte's first season at a club without any silverware since 2011 looked to have been his last with Inter as he spoke about his time in Milan in the past tense following the painful final defeat.

However, after some reconciliatory talks at a wedding venue, the 51-year-old is set to mount another title tilt at the expense of his former employers Juventus.

Upon arrival at San Siro, Conte equipped his new side with a new formation, exclusively deploying a three-man defence and often in a 3-5-2. The wingbacks are crucial to this system, joining in with the team's attacks while also tasked with a myriad of defensive responsibilities.

While new arrival Achraf Hakimi should unquestionably have the right wingback slot sewn up, Conte has several options to choose from on the other flank.

6. Kwadwo Asamoah

Conte brought Kwadwo Asamoah from Udinese to Juventus in 2012 and converted the Ghana international from a central midfielder to a wingback. Asamoah flourished in his new position and was a regular before Conte left Turin in 2014.

When the two were reunited last summer, Conte again turned to the 31-year-old. However, since the end of October 2019, Asamoah has played just 18 minutes of football for Inter.

He may technically still be an Inter player, but the lack of game time has led to rumours of a move away for Asamoah, with Cagliari touted as a possible destination.

5. Aleksandr Kolarov

Aleksandr Kolarov's insistence on wearing the number 11 highlights his attacking instincts but the former Manchester City defender may very well turn out at centre-back more often than the flanks for his new side.

Roma switched to a 3-4-3 formation post-lockdown - prompting a desperately needed uptick in results. Kolarov played as one of the back-three six times compared to just two outings at wingback.

The 34-year-old could certainly fill in at this advanced role on occasion but his future is likely to reside a bit further back.

4. Ivan Perisic

As loan spells go, winning the European treble ranks pretty high on the list. Ivan Perisic returns to Milan from his trophy-laden season with Bayern Munich to find a team that plays a formation which doesn't really accommodate a player in his position - an out-and-out winger.

Perisic's industry, durability and two-footedness gives him plenty of attributes demanded by Conte's wingbacks. However, the natural forward may lack the requisite defensive qualities to represent a complete option.

3. Dalbert

Dalbert didn't hit double figures for league starts in either of his first two seasons at Inter after arriving from Nice in 2017.

Yet, the 27-year-old Brazilian showed flashes of why Inter parted ways with €21m during a surprisingly creative season on loan with Fiorentina last term.

Dalbert laid on five assists for the mid-table Viola and racked up 29 Serie A starts. The vast majority of these appearances came as a wingback which should reduce the period of adaptation in Conte's system.

1. Ashley Young

Ashley Young's debut for the Nerazzurri saw him lay on his first assist for the club within half an hour. In that particular outing Young was deployed on the right flank but the vast majority of his time in blue and black has been spent on the other side.

In half a season, Young scored or assisted eight league goals for his new side. The 35-year-old last registered more goal contributions in the heady days of 2011/12, his first season for Manchester United when he played as an outright winger or attacking midfielder.