Sneijder was arguably the best player of the 2009/10 Champions League campaign as Inter won that tournament as part of a treble.
He was named as UEFA’s best midfielder of the competition, and many believe he was robbed of the Ballon d’Or that year, too.
Samuel Eto’o – SWAP with Ibrahimovic (from Barcelona, 2009)
Possibly the most famous swap deal of all time took place in 2009 when Barcelona paid €46m plus prolific striker Samuel Eto’o for Inter superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Eto’o had been superb for Barcelona and only a few months prior he had scored the opening goal in the Champions League final victory against Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola wanted another style of No. 9, though, and it seemed like a perfect fit when Ibrahimovic was targeted.
While Eto’o went on to win the treble with Inter, though, Ibrahimovic had a tough time at Camp Nou after falling out with Guardiola, and left for Milan after just one season.
Diego Milito – €28m (from Genoa, 2009)
Diego Milito is the second most expensive player on this list and a player that achieved cult hero status with Inter during his relatively brief spell at the club.
The Argentinian striker spent five years at San Siro but in his first season he is best-remembered for his superb brace in the 2010 Champions League final that wrapped up the treble.
He never really hit those same heights again, with only one other league season reaching double figures for goals, but that one campaign was enough to cement his legacy.
Overall, Milito managed 75 goals in 171 games for the club in all competitions – a more than reasonable return – and he remains largely responsible for one of the biggest moments in the club’s history.
Samir Handanovic- €19m (from Udinese, 2012)
Samir Handanovic has nearly been with Inter for a decade, and even though the club may have had changing fortunes in that time, his excellence in goal has been one of the constants.
He is a towering figure between the sticks, but don’t let that fool you as even in the veteran stage of his career he remains as agile as anyone.
Handanovic has been named in the Serie A Team of the Season on three occasions and the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year on four occasions.
In 2021 he won his first Serie A title with the club.
Romelu Lukaku – €80m (from Man Utd, 2019)
After being unfairly criticised during his time at Manchester United, Romelu Lukaku moved to Inter for a huge sum of money, but instantly hit the ground running.
He scored 34 goals and assisted six in his debut campaign, forming an incredible strike partnership with Lautaro Martinez. In his second season, his goals fired Inter to glory as his 24 league strikes, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo‘s 29 in Serie A, and 11 assists ensured the Nerazzurri won the title.
Belgium’s record goal-scorer at just 26, Lukaku is known as one of Europe’s best forwards, and Manchester United will be regretting his sale immensely. As for Inter, it was a fairly rare example of big money being spent well.