Inter's Bernabeu Night: Dimarco's Contract Talks

Inter are in Madrid to launch their Champions League campaign against Real Madrid, but the real negotiating power play is happening in the stands, not just on the pitch.

Federico Dimarco is missing from the squad through injury, a support strap still wrapped around his knee in training, yet his presence hangs over the evening. This trip to the Bernabeu has become the perfect stage for the club to address his future.

Contract talks in the Bernabeu stands

Sky Sport Italia report that Dimarco’s agent, Arturo Canales, is in the stands and has used the occasion to sit down in person with Inter’s new director of sport, Dario Baccin. No video calls, no intermediaries. Face to face, on Champions League night.

The timing is no coincidence. Dimarco recently made it clear he was still waiting for a formal proposal on a new deal, despite his current contract running until June 2028. For a player of his status, that delay grated.

He has every reason to push hard. The Italy international comes into this season as the reigning Serie A Player of the Season for 2025/26, a recognition that underlines his rise from useful squad player to cornerstone of Simone Inzaghi’s side. That award strengthens his hand at the table. So does his symbolic weight: a homegrown Nerazzurro who lifted both the Scudetto and Coppa Italia last term, posing with the Coppa Campioni d’Italia and Coppa Italia trophies at San Siro in May.

Inter know it. This isn’t just about numbers on a pay slip; it’s about locking in a leader of their project at his peak.

New director, same hierarchy to reshape

For Baccin, the meeting is equally significant. Long the right-hand man to Piero Ausilio, he now steps into the spotlight as Inter’s director of sport. Nights like this define how quickly he stamps his authority on the role.

Securing an agreement with Dimarco would send a clear early message: the continuity of Inter’s core is non‑negotiable, even as the faces in the boardroom change.

On the pitch, Inter must cope without Dimarco and Djed Spence when the match kicks off at 20:00 UK time (21:00 CEST) at the Bernabeu. In the stands, though, the club are working to ensure that when the next big European night comes around, their Serie A Player of the Season is not just watching with a strapped knee, but leading them out under a contract that reflects his status.