Inter's directors could intervene as early as January to acquire a new central defender if English centre-back John Stones, 32, fails to convince the club and coach Cristian Chivu of his reliability and physical continuity in the coming weeks. Acquiring a rapid and reliable central defender is considered a higher priority than signing a fifth striker. Stones, who has 94 caps and 3 goals for England, joined Inter Milan in July 2026, and his contract is valid until June 2028. According to Transfermarkt, the defender's current market value is €12.00M.