The NINE Inter Milan players out of contract in 2026 and what their futures hold

No Serie A team fielded lineups with a higher average age than Inter Milan last season, but what does the future hold for some of their senior players in the last year of their contracts?

Most of the Inter Milan players due to be out of contract in 2026 are already in their mid-3os, which usually might not help their case for a long-term stay. But Inter have found value in experience over recent years, winning two of the past five Serie A titles.

Now, as a new era takes shape with Cristian Chivu having replaced Simone Inzaghi as head coach, they will have to make decisions about the players entering the final year of their deals.

Due to their ages, there might not be much resale value in any of them, but nevertheless, it will be time for Inter to decide whether they want to continue with those players.

Here are the current Inter players that have entered the final year of their contracts and what may be in store for them.

Francesco Acerbi

• Appearances last season: 35
• Goals last season: 1
• Weekly salary: €53,462
• Annual salary: €2.78m

The oldest player on Inter’s books is veteran centre-back Acerbi, who recently turned 37. He joined Inter in 2022, initially on loan from Lazio before making the move permanent.

Having worked with Inzaghi at Lazio before, Acerbi had his old head coach’s trust. Acerbi featured regularly in his first two seasons with Inter, starting in the 2023 Champions League final.

Last season involved less activity for the former Italy international, largely because of some hamstring problems. He worked his way back into the starting lineup after his recovery, locking down the central spot in Inter’s back three and starting in the Champions League final for a second time in 2025.

Although his deal runs until 2026, Inter have the option to unilaterally terminate it this summer instead. Reports previously stated a new deal couldn’t be ruled out, but he now looks like one of the more likely leavers.

He does have credit in the bank for his service to the club so far, but despite taking home one of the lowest salaries in the squad, it could be symbolic of Inter’s new era to let Acerbi go.

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Ebenezer Akinsanmiro

• Appearances last season: 38 (on loan at Sampdoria)
• Goals last season: 1
• Weekly salary: N/A
• Annual salary: N/A

The Nigerian midfielder spent last season on loan in Serie B with Sampdoria. Reports in June explained that Inter were accelerating renewal talks for the 20-year-old to confirm his long-term future.

Matteo Darmian

• Appearances last season: 49
• Goals last season: 3
• Weekly salary: €61,731
• Annual salary: €3.21m

Like Acerbi, Inter have the option to terminate Darmian’s contract in the summer of 2025 if they don’t want him to fulfil the full term until 2026.

Darmian was a 2020 recruit for Inter after returning to form in Italy with Parma following his exit from Manchester United. He reached his 200th appearance for the Nerazzurri before the end of the 2024-25 season.

While he only starts about half of Inter’s games, Darmian has been useful for his versatility. At the age of 35, he has been playing either in the back three, in his more natural role as a right wing-back, or even on the opposite side if needed.

Thus, Inter were happy to prolong his contract back in the autumn along with Acerbi. The current expectation is that Darmian will stay into next season, before potentially being released in 2026.

Darmian started for Inter at the Club World Cup, so seems to have a place in Chivu’s plans, even if he won’t always be a starter over the 2025-26 season.

Stefan de Vrij

• Appearances last season: 43
• Goals last season: 3
• Weekly salary: €135,385
• Annual salary: €7.04m

De Vrij was due to become a free agent in 2025, but the experienced defender has been rewarded with a new deal at San Siro.

Given that he’s now 33, it’s only a short-term arrangement, as Inter have extended his deal just for another 12 months.

It remains to be seen how much longer he remains a key player for Inter, but Chivu gave him three appearances at the Club World Cup.

Raffaele Di Gennaro

• Appearances last season: 0
• Goals conceded last season: 0
• Weekly salary: €5,385
• Annual salary: €280,000

Inter’s third-choice goalkeeper was also meant to be out of contract in 2025, but has signed a new one-year deal to continue offering his support to the players ahead of him in the pecking order.

Sebastiano Esposito

• Appearances last season: 35 (on loan at Empoli)
• Goals last season: 10
• Weekly salary: €14,231
• Annual salary: €740,000

Esposito had a productive loan spell in Serie A with Empoli last season, even though they were relegated.

The attacker played in all four of Inter’s Club World Cup games and at the age of 23 has given himself a decent platform to build from.

However, it might simply be a springboard to another club, since he isn’t expected to stick around and has attracted interest from elsewhere, both in Italy and overseas.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

• Appearances last season: 53
• Goals last season: 1
• Weekly salary: €93,654
• Annual salary: €4.87m

Former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker Mkhitaryan enjoyed a late-career purple patch in Serie A. After three years of service to Roma – where he even made up with Jose Mourinho – the Armenia legend moved to Inter in 2022.

He has redefined his role at San Siro, becoming more of a central midfielder than an attacking one (a process which began in his final season at Roma). But he has taken the transition in his stride and was regularly called upon by Inzaghi.

It took just 18 months for Inter to decide to renew Mkhitaryan’s contract until 2026. The 36-year-old has since surpassed a century of appearances for Inter, starting most of their Serie A games last season.

One of Inter’s fittest players despite his age, Mkhitaryan said in May 2024 on the back of winning the Scudetto – believe it or not, his first league title since he won the Ukrainian Premier League with Shakhtar Donetsk in 2012-13 – that he would assess his future after the remaining two years of his contract.

“I still have a two-year contract with Inter, until 2026,” he observed matter-of-factly.

“I’ll see if I can keep playing until then. Then, we’ll think about whether I will continue there, or somewhere else.”

And he has been doing well enough since those comments to earn his place at Inter next season, although there have been some question marks over his form and regular starts are likely to drop.

Yann Sommer

• Appearances last season: 53
• Goals conceded last season: 55
• Weekly salary: €61,731
• Annual salary: €3.21m

Following the sale of Andre Onana to Man Utd in 2023, Inter opted for Sommer as their replacement first-choice goalkeeper.

Although he was 34 at the time of his arrival, Sommer has turned out to be more of a long-term option for Inter than Onana, who only spent one season at San Siro.

The Switzerland international played in 34 of Inter’s 38 games in his debut season, not only winning the Scudetto but also keeping the most clean sheets of any Serie A shot-stopper.

He conceded fewer goals than the number of games he has played in the league last season as well, but had a spell out due to a broken thumb.

Inter’s backup goalkeeper is Josep Martinez, a summer 2024 signing from Genoa.

Sommer is expected to remain Inter’s first choice next season. In the long term, Martinez is someone who could succeed him.

Yet he may have to show a little more patience, since reports towards the start of the 2024-25 season suggested Sommer was eyeing a contract extension with Inter.

The former Basel, Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich keeper has proven his reliability and Inter are expecting to depend on him for at least another season.

Zinho Vanheusden

• Appearances last season: 3 (on loan at Mechelen)
• Goals last season: 0
• Weekly salary: €3,558
• Annual salary: €185,000

It’s been 10 years since Inter added Vanheusden to their academy ranks and he’s had a series of loan spells away, most recently with Mechelen in his native Belgium.

The problem for the defender in recent years has been injuries. Indeed, he only managed three appearances for Mechelen before suffering another setback.

While he isn’t a high earner, Inter would presumably rather have Vanheusden off the books, since the potential they once invested in seemingly isn’t going to materialise by this stage for the 25-year-old.