The operation must be done by May, everything should be finalized between late 2023 and early 2024.
Steven Zhang has no intention of leaving Inter according to Gazzetta dello Sport which explains the plan of the Nerazzurri president to refinance the debt and retain ownership. The loan from Oaktree is set to expire in May 2024, when Inter will have to repay over 350 million euros to the US fund. There isn’t much time, and it’s clear that a solution will need to be reached between the end of this year and the beginning of the new one.
Despite various more or less reliable rumors and proposals received (Investcorp, Al Thani & Ziliacus), there has been no real progress made so far. Some funds have evaluated the possibility of making direct contact for the purchase of the club, but after studying the situation, they decided to pass, partly due to the high price Zhang is asking to sell Inter, which is €1.3 billion.
According Gazzetta, the president’s plan involves bringing in funds to refinance the debt with Oaktree. In recent days, there have been contacts with at least a couple of US credit funds interested in the operation. The key issue is related to the interest rates; the current rates with Oaktree are set at 12%, and Zhang’s goal is to secure the new financing at lower interest rates.
