Since his arrival, Luis Henrique has been going through a period of delicate adaptation in the Inter -Inter. His beginnings at the Club World Cup in June had already raised criticism, especially after a complicated performance against Urawa, where his lack of lucidity and technical accuracy had frustrated observers and supporters. If some had highlighted his speed and percussion capacity, others pointed out a risky investment for a still irregular player. “”If Luis Henrique returned well? It can do even better! It is not yet 100 %, it has only done a few training sessions with us. That said, I appreciated it today. He has personality, technique and the courage to come and challenge his opponentThen said Cristian Chivu, during the Club World Cup. Since then, friendly matches have made it possible to refine the judgment: Henrique scored her first goal against the U23, a sign of his integration, but her performances in the face of more raised opponents remain contrasting.
Against Monza, he alternated good intentions and blunders, while his appearances against Monaco and Olympiakos confirmed a rough profile, still far from the expected regularity at this level: “All my teammates and the staff made me very welcome, I feel a little more comfortable every day. I take advantage of this moment to integrate myself into the group as best as possible. Having another Brazilian like Carlos Augusto is essential: he helps me on a daily basis. In the past, I have played in Europe without other Brazilians in the team, and it was much more difficult. There is a positive atmosphere here and great respect for those who have been there for longer. They are the first to joke and make you comfortable. I will learn a lot of them. I am happy to have players from this caliber by my side ”preferred to relativize the former OM player. The question of its real added value is already arising in part of the tifosi, even if the staff insists on the need for patience with a player still young and under construction.
The first concerns are growing!
These debates gain more magnitude since the economic situation of the Inter makes each choice of recruitment highly scrutinized. The Lombard club comes out of several Mercatos marked by financial constraints, where we have favored free or inexpensive players in order to remain competitive without grewing the accounts. In this context, the investment made for Luis Henrique is one of the most ambitious bets in the club in recent years, and this is precisely what feeds criticism: “His case is indeed quite special. We must first recall the unstable context of his arrival: he is a player wanted by the former coach and followed for a long time, but in the meantime the end of the season has been hectic, both sporting and media, with the highlight of the departure of Inzaghi. It remains to be seen if Chivu will give him the same confidence – the Zalewski case can also put the chip in the ear“Recalls Gualtiero, sports commentator and calcio specialist. His qualities of speed, dribbling and percussion are real, and with work, confidence and better physical condition, he can still find his place in the Chivu system. Patience and continuity will be essential before making a final judgment.
But some see it as poorly calibrated risk, especially when Inter has let go of young potential Italian talents, while others recall that such a profile cannot be tried after only a few games: “It is a substantial investment for a rotation player, who at OM has known six very good months but also several dull seasons. Its qualities, however, bring variety in the workforce, especially in terms of percussion and depth, two aspects which lacked at Inter, one of the teams that dribbed the least in Europe last season. The question is now whether it can raise its level and progress, in particular on the defensive level, a key sector in Italy“, Specifies GUALTIERO, who also intervenes in the weekly program of Team Serie A. Placed on the right side in a mid -four environment – although he can also evolve as a winger in a middle of five, Luis Henrique offers a versatile option in Chivu.
If the first appearances are far from positive, it is important to remember that Italian football always requires a great capacity for adaptation, even more in a large stable which has just changed coach. Luis Henrique remains an apprenticeship player, and it would be premature to catalog him as a failure after only a few outings. Adaptation to a new club, a new environment and such strong expectations necessarily requires time, especially for a still young player: “His beginnings are rather shy, which was one of the fears around him: a certain lack of personality. His adaptation will say a lot, but he will quickly raise his performance to establish himself as a reliable element at the very high level. With the density of competitions, its responsibility and the requirement in it will be real, as for each of the players in the workforce“Concludes Gualtiero. Between sporting expectations and economic imperatives, Luis Henrique embodies in spite of himself a part of the current dilemma of the Inter: how to build a competitive workforce in the long term without financial margin, and with the obligation that each big transfer becomes an undeniable success.
