Against all odds, Fredy Guarin has somehow survived another transfer window to remain an Inter player.
Expected to join Juventus in January in exchange for Mirko Vucinic, a last minute intervention from the clubs fans and new president Erick Thohir scuppered the move, but it only looked like delaying the inevitable come this past summer.
The Colombian midfielder was officially put up for sale in July, and it finally looked like a parting of the ways between the talented, but temperamental midfielder and the Nerazzurri.
There were links to Manchester United, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Valencia, but an agreement could not be found, and Guarin will stay at the San Siro until January at least, despite being seemingly on his way out of the club for about a year now.
There were even rumors of Guarin rejecting a move to Zenit in the hope of Juventus re-entering negotiations for him which further damaged the already fractious relationship between the player and the fans. Guarin was linked to Juventus as a replacement for star midfielder Arturo Vidal in case he left the club, but the Chilean stayed and no move was forthcoming for Guarin.
In fairness to Guarin, he has come out and spoken of his desire to continue his career with Inter many times during this past year, despite rumors to the contrary. Every few months, himself or his agent will come out and claim that Guarin always wanted to remain an Inter player, in spite of his lethargic performances noticeably negating those claims. In truth, it comes across as somewhat pitiful, almost begging forgiveness from the Inter faithful, and that is what frustrates the fans the most.
They believe it is time for Guarin to either put up or shut up. To show he is worthy of wearing the iconic black and blue strip with his performances, rather than telling the media with words how much it means playing for the Nerazzurri. He has been ordered a stay of execution for the next six months at least, and it is up to him to convince coach Walter Mazzarri and the fans that he is worthy of a starting spot, having been relegated to the bench for most of 2014, not just for his club side, but his national team as well.
Football fans are fickle. A couple of months of good performances that his talent can no doubt provide will ensure that he earns back the trust and respect of many of the supporters again. The media have unquestionably played a part in his role as the villain in all of this, fabricating stories of him wanting to leave the club for bitter rivals Juventus among others, despite Guarin suggesting otherwise. It is obvious that these rumors have affected the Colombian, but he may learn to harness it and use it to his advantage.
“The rumors of me wanting to leave? It’s difficult to live in certain moments like this; it has caused me a lot of anger. Now this anger, I will throw it out on the field, that’s all I’m waiting for” he said, earlier this month.
For once, Inter fans will be hoping Guarin lets his actions do the talking. Mazzarri has said in the media this week that he is happy to welcome the midfielder back into the fold, and will tend to use him as a ‘second-striker’ instead of his customary midfield position given the dearth of available options the boss has upfront.
The time is now. Six months Fredy, or you can be sure you’ll be off the first offer the club receives, regardless of how derisory the bid is.
