Five underrated Inter Milan signings made by Massimo Moratti

Massimo Moratti is one of the most interesting presidents in football history. His father was president of Inter Milan in the 1960s during the club's heyday and he did likewise in the 90s, but he struggled to make them successful for many years. However, he eventually led them to a historical treble in 2010 with Jose Mourinho as manager and Moratti was always keen to invest in his team.

Iván Córdoba - one of the players on this list

This is a president that had no problem spending money to improve his club and while he made mistakes along the way, there is no denying that he made Inter better than ever before. However, there are some signings made by Moratti that deserve more credit and here are five of them. Let's begin.

5. Álvaro Recoba (1997-2008)

The reason that Álvaro Recoba is in fifth place is due to the fact that he was a bit inconsistent over the years, but anyone that watched the Uruguayan in action knows how good he was and how much of a fan favorite he was at Inter Milan.

Recoba was signed in 1997, during the early years of Moratti's presidency, as a promising young talent from one of the big clubs of Uruguayan football, National, and he had a slow start in Milan. He was even loaned to Venezia the following season, which helped him a lot with his progression and adaptation to Italian football.

Afterward, the Uruguayan forward would spend a decade playing for Inter, scoring a lot of amazing goals, showing his amazing technique, and having one of the best left feet in the club's history.

4. Júlio César (2005-2012)

Whenever someone thinks of the best goalkeepers in Italian football in recent decades, the Brazilian Júlio César is often ignored, which is a shame because he is quite likely the best goalkeeper in Inter Milan's history or at least one of the best. And when Moratti signed him from Flamengo (after some shenanigans with Chievo) for 2.45 million, it was pretty certain that not even he was expecting such results.

Júlio César went on to play exactly 300 matches for Inter in seven years, winning every possible trophy at club level, and being a regular performer, often aiding the team when they needed him the most. He was a top-level keeper for them and deserves a rightful place on this list.

3. Dejan Stankovic (2004-2013)

Dejan Stankovic was one of the most underrated midfielders of his generation and the fact that Moratti managed to get him at just 4 million euros from Lazio in January of 2004 is a huge coup. While Lazio were struggling financially, Moratti and Inter took advantage of that with a player that went on to become a total stalwart for them.

The Serbian midfielder is usually remembered for his long-range goals, but his work rate, his intelligence, and tactical know-how made him one of the best players in Inter Milan's modern history while being a regular for all the managers he played for. His leadership qualities were also often praised by his managers, which is logical when is considered that he was the captain of Red Star Belgrade at age 19.

This is the very definition of a bargain and one of the best deals that Moratti (and Inter Milan as a whole) made during his entire presidency, which deserves a lot of praise.

2. Iván Córdoba (2000-2012)

If there is an element in football that is often undermined and underrated, that is the element of consistency. Those players that are capable of playing well week in, week out are the ones that become the backbone of a lot of successful clubs and the ones that provide that basis for the great players to strive in the key moments.

Colombian center-back Iván Córdoba was exactly that and one of the best signings that Massimo Moratti ever made during his presidency.

Córdoba was signed from Argentinian club San Lorenzo in the summer of 2000 for 16 million euros, which was quite a hefty sum back in those days, with Inter Milan having to beat Real Madrid in the process. With this came a lot of expectations for the young Colombian center-back, especially considering that he wasn't a big name, but he managed to deliver the goods and then some for twelve years in San Siro.

Despite not being very tall, Córdoba was great at reading the game and was very quick for a center-back, which in return helped him during key moments in the matches. He could play in any position in defense and had no qualms about starting or being a squad player, which proved to be quite helpful during several periods of his career.

One of the most underrated Inter Milan players of all time, for sure.

1. Esteban Cambiasso (2004-2014)

Inter Milan signing Argentinian midfielder as a free agent after his stint in Real Madrid in the summer of 2004 could very well be one of the best signings in football history from a bargain perspective. Very few signings in the history of the game have been so positive for a club with so little cost and Massimo Moratti deserves a lot of credit for that.

Cambiasso went on to become the starting defensive midfielder for Inter Milan for an entire decade and his technicality, intelligence, and a good knack for scoring goals quickly made him a fan favorite over the years. He was a key component for all the managers he played for and added an element of consistency and quality that Inter were in need of at the time.

The Argentinian is one of the most underrated players of his generation and he was key in all the trophies he won with Inter Milan, adding to his legend in the process. He may not get the credit that other players have received, but Cambiasso's importance in Inter's modern history cannot be understated.