Inter's 2009 Summer Mercato: The Construction of a Treble Champion

2010 was a year to remember for Inter Milan: they became the first Italian side to ever win the treble (and just the sixth of all-time), edging out Roma in both the title race and Coppa Italia, before swatting aside Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final. Domestic success had come relatively easily for the Nerazzurri following the fallout of the Calciopoli scandal - but their Champions League triumph was 45 years in the making.

They achieved this under the leadership of José Mourinho; a manager notorious for his winning mentality, but also his brazen demands in the transfer market - the man knows what he wants, and will often sacrifice the long-term benefits of the club for the short-term success of trophies and titles in terms of his signings and personnel choices. Ahead of his Chelsea title win in 2014/15 for example, The Special One exclusively signed players over the age of 25, with the average age of his signings prior to the 2004/05 season averaging out at around the same figure.

Mourinho - working with Director of Football Gabriele Orialli - cast the net slightly wider during the 2008 summer window, signing the likes of Sulley Muntari, Richardo Quaresma and Luis Jiménez. Despite romping to the Scudetto title, however, the signings proved wholly unsuccessful, with only Muntari managing more than 800 minutes of the new recruits during 08/09. 

However, in 09/10, Inter added more experienced heads to the squad in a bid to not only retain their Serie A title, but go all the way in Europe following a disappointing round of 16 exit to the hands of Manchester United the season previous.