Derby Gaffe Resumes Questions About Inter Goalie Sommer

Yann Sommer was an unlucky protagonist in the Derby, as he rejected a fairly routine shot too weakly and centrally, and Christian Pulisic pounced on it. It wasn’t a glaring mistake, but it’s not the first time his imperfections cost Inter points, Libero points out (via OneFootball).

The Swiss veteran had some errors also against Napoli and Juventus. His decline has also been noticeable statistically. His percentage of saves has dipped from 82,7%, his clip for the past two seasons, to 71,4%. Instead, his PSxG is -1.7, which means that he has allowed more goals than expected based on the chances created by the opponents. There’s a gulf compared to the top shot-stoppers: Mile Svilar and Mike Maignan, who are registering a +4.4 and +4.3, respectively.

Sommer is in the final year of his contract with Inter, and the partnership will likely end naturally, unless he stays as the deputy, Mediaset reports. The Nerazzurri are keeping tabs on several up-and-comers, for instance, Cagliari’s Elia Caprile, Parma’s Zion Suzuki, and Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu.

They have also been recently linked to Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, who might depart Aston Villa after a long tenure, and Mike Maignan, who’ll likely leave Milan on a free.

Our Take on Sommer

It’d be unfair to make him the scapegoat, considering how many scoring opportunities they missed on the other end, but, while he hasn’t suddenly become blunder-prone and a big problem, it’s also true that he’s no longer elite. They are eyeing some interesting players, but one has to wonder whether a side with legitimate Champions League ambitions can afford to gamble on a youngster and trust that he’ll grow quickly in such a delicate role.