Chivu claims two Inter summer signings ‘aren’t ready’ two months into 2025-26

Cristian Chivu has admitted that Inter summer signings Andy Diouf and Luis Henrique haven’t been ‘ready’ to play regularly under him in Serie A and the Champions league so far this season, more than two months into the 2025-26 campaign. 

The Nerazzurri are on an encouraging run of form as things stand. Despite falling to back-to-back defeats within the first three league matches of the season, they have since gone on a run of seven consecutive victories across Serie A and the Champions League. 

Diouf and Henrique, who both came in over the summer transfer window, have scarcely featured during that run, however. 

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, ahead of Inter’s upcoming Serie A test away against Napoli, Chivu was asked what Luis Henrique has been working on during his absence from the starting line-up. 

“Diouf has played even less, but both have been working hard,” Chivu replied. “They’re quality players and have room to grow, mentally as well.” 

He went on to admit that he hasn’t felt ‘ready’ to deploy either Diouf or Luis Henrique as regular starters just yet, but insists that ‘their time will come’. 

“To date, I haven’t considered them as being ready yet, but I will always take responsibility. I might have spent less time listening to them due to the high number of matches we’ve had. I can’t fault their commitment, they are good players and their time will come.” 

As things stand, Luis Henrique has started just once since his €25m signing from Marseille at the beginning of the summer, and has come off the bench a further four times across 10 competitive matches this term. 

Diouf, meanwhile, has not yet featured in a Nerazzurri starting line-up, and has been limited to just 26 minutes in all competitions since joining Inter from Lens, again at a reported cost of €25m.