Aleksandar Stankovic's Decision to Stay at Inter

Aleksandar Stankovic has made his choice. With Inter weighing up whether to cash in or send him out on loan, the 21-year-old has told the club he wants to stay at San Siro and fight for his place under Cristian Chivu this season.

A Treble Legacy, A New Battle

Stankovic carries a heavy surname in these parts. He is the son of Dejan Stankovic, a treble winner with Inter and one of the symbols of the club’s greatest modern era. Aleksandar followed a similar path in the early years, growing up in the Nerazzurri academy before being sold to Club Brugge last summer.

That move to Belgium changed everything.

At Club Brugge he put together the kind of season that forces big clubs to rethink their plans. Performances in domestic competition and in Europe pushed his name onto scouting lists across the continent and convinced Inter to trigger their buy-back clause. It cost them a reported €23m to bring him back.

For a player they had previously let go, that figure underlined how far he had come.

Inter’s Midfield Traffic Jam

Now comes the hard part. Breaking into this Inter midfield will not be simple.

Nicolo Barella remains one of the first names on the teamsheet, a pillar for both club and country. Hakan Calhanoglu, the metronome at the base of midfield, is also locked in as a starter. On top of that, Curtis Jones is set to arrive from Liverpool in a €35m deal, another strong candidate for a starting role.

Behind that core, the depth is serious. Petar Sucic offers energy and physicality. Piotr Zielinski brings guile and experience. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who signed a contract extension earlier in the summer, still gives Chivu a trusted, intelligent option between the lines. Andy Diouf, used even at right wing-back in pre-season, adds versatility and tactical flexibility.

It leaves a blunt question: where, exactly, does Aleksandar Stankovic fit?

Sell, Loan… or Stay and Fight

Given that congestion, internal discussions at Inter have revolved around whether to flip Stankovic for a quick profit or send him on loan to guarantee minutes in 2026-27. With his value high after his year in Belgium, a sale would be easy to justify from a financial point of view. A loan, on paper, would protect his development.

But the player has other ideas.

According to the latest reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Stankovic has made it clear he does not want another move this summer. Not a sale, not a loan. Even with Jones coming in, he intends to stay in Milan and compete for a spot in Chivu’s rotation.

It is a bold stance for a 21-year-old in a Champions League-level squad. It is also a message.

He did his growing elsewhere. Now he wants to prove he belongs where his surname already does – at the heart of Inter’s future, not just its past.