Inter, the next signing will be in defence: who Finn Jeltsch is, he costs €40 million
Inter are looking to the future and will complete their defensive overhaul in the next transfer window.
Inter look almost flawless, but that is exactly why they cannot stop planning ahead. Planning for the next transfer windows has already begun, and after assessing the squad and reviewing last summer's business, defence looks the next area for major investment.
In the summer of 2026, the planned youth revolution, with Acerbi, De Vrij and Darmian set to leave, was effectively put on hold. The arrival of John Stones on a free transfer and the return of Benjamin Pavard from loan bought some time, but the idea now parked remains firmly in the directors' minds: Inter need a young, strong defender with significant room for growth.
If needed, Inter could even make a significant investment to get one, and that is why Finn Jeltsch is moving up their list of targets.
Scouts in the Bundesliga
At this stage of the transfer market, Inter are continuing to watch and scrutinise the international market very closely. Dario Baccin's team have several profiles in their notebook after taking the place of Piero Ausilio, with the ownership instructing them to widen the scouting work by combining direct observation on the pitch with data and artificial intelligence tools. And it is precisely from this combined work that the name of Jeltsch has emerged strongly.
Inter first identify the profile and then track him closely in concrete terms, and that is exactly how they have moved for the Stuttgart player born in 2006. According to the German press, an Inter scout was in the stands at the MHP Arena for the Champions League match against Viking Stavanger on 9 September, which Stuttgart won 3-1, precisely to follow the defender closely.
Who is Jeltsch
Born on 17 July 2006, Jeltsch is a German central defender who stands 1.88 metres tall and is naturally right-footed. He came through the youth system at Nuremberg and made his professional debut for the club before the transfer to Stuttgart in February 2025. He is a centre-back accustomed to both a back three and a back four, with particularly interesting qualities in reading the game, stepping in front of his man and recovering his position quickly. What the Nerazzurri hierarchy like most, however, is his pace when tracking back and his maturity in managing risk.
Through Germany's youth national teams, his rise has been just as quick: with the Under-17s he won both the European Championship and the World Cup in 2023, while in 2025 he received the Fritz Walter gold medal in the Under-19 category, one of the main individual honours in German youth football. He has now also stepped into the senior national-team setup, with his first call-up coming in this new Jurgen Klopp era, even if he has not yet made his debut.
Competition and price
As Corriere dello Sport also reports, Jeltsch's rapid rise has not only caught Inter's eye. Several of Europe's top clubs are already tracking the Stuttgart defender. Barcelona, for example, are among the main clubs interested and, like Inter, already sent a scout to watch him live in the Champions League match against Viking, where Inter were also present. Several Premier League clubs are following his development too.
Stuttgart, though, have absolutely no intention of letting their jewel go on the cheap after he arrived in the city only two seasons ago. The valuation keeps rising and in Germany there is talk of an asking price of no less than €40 million, a significant figure but one that fits the player's profile and the growing competition for his signature. His contract with the German club is of course still a long one, expiring on 30 June 2030 and for Inter, if they want to make their move, negotiations between the clubs will inevitably be needed.
