Inter have officially announced they repaid the €400m bond ahead of schedule, which should give them more leeway on the transfer market this summer.
The Nerazzurri have been struggling with financial problems for several years now, which culminated in previous owners Suning losing control of the club over an unpaid loan.
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This allowed Oaktree to effectively repossess the Serie A side and take over in May 2024.
Oaktree revamping Inter finances
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They are now working on reducing the outstanding debt and balancing the books.
A part of that was taken care of today by repaying the bond by paying €400m plus €12m interest, despite the fact the deadline was February 2027.
This means the €30m per year interest coming out of the club’s books will drop to circa €20m.
The ball of Italian Serie A is pictured before the Italian Serie A football match between Juventus and Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on March 10, 2024. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
“The idea was to avoid this debt affecting the liquidity index,” financial expert Marco Bellinazzo told Giornale Radio.
“The conditions of the market, with lower interest rates and the credibility of a fund like Oaktree created the ideal environment to repay this debt early and save a great deal of the €30m per year interest that Inter paid every year.
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“The bond is part of the long-standing debt, so it should give more room for manoeuvre on the transfer market.”
It is expected to be the build-up to a general refinancing of the debt from Oaktree.
The team’s run to the Champions League Final and their participation in the 2025 Club World Cup ought to further help boost the coffers.
They are expected to invest to build a stronger squad for new coach Cristian Chivu, who has taken over from Simone Inzaghi.
