According to further revelations by the newspaper "All Market", as early as last season when Ranocchia was playing for Bari, Leonardo had a very high opinion of him and recommended him to the senior management of Milan. In Leonardo's eyes, Ranocchia is a player who plays with his head, has excellent air defense capabilities, and is not slow on his feet. With proper training, he will definitely be a moldable talent. During the first training session, Leonardo gave Ranocchia a detailed explanation of tactics and techniques, which fully demonstrates the importance of this Italian defender for Inter Milan in the future. In fact, as early as when Leonardo was negotiating the specific terms of his contract with Inter Milan, the Brazilian mentioned Ranocchia's name, and Moratti subsequently approved the request. The newspaper "Milan Sports" called Ranocchia a Christmas gift prepared by Moratti for Leonardo. From the perspective of Inter Milan's defense, with Samuel out for the season, they indeed need an injection of fresh blood, and Ranocchia is clearly the most suitable candidate.
On December 29th at the Appiano Training Base, the newly appointed Leonardo stole the focus of all the media, but in fact, this was also the first training session for the new signing Ranocchia at Inter Milan. In the training, this tall and slightly naive big boy may not have stood out too much, but his potential and performance were still unanimously recognized. During the defensive training, Leonardo even stopped temporarily to explain tactics to Ranocchia, showing the importance of this new signing in Leonardo's mind.
In addition, according to speculation by the "Milan Sports", if Ranocchia can perform steadily in the next week of training, he will be directly promoted to the starting lineup, representing Inter Milan in Serie A matches, and there is even a possibility of making his Champions League debut. Even Materazzi praised this new signing: "He looks physically quite fit and has a very good awareness."
According to "Sky Sports", Leonardo's selection of Ranocchia can be seen as a signal. In the second half of the season, Ranocchia is highly likely to directly replace veteran Cordoba and gain a starting position, partnering with the captain of the Brazil national team, Lucio. For a 22-year-old young defender, this will absolutely be a turning point. Inter Milan legend Mazzola is also extremely optimistic about Ranocchia: "In my view, among the younger generation of defenders, Ranocchia is just as excellent as Bonucci. He definitely has the ability to find his place in Inter Milan."
In the second half of the season, Inter Milan's squad will have Lucio, Ranocchia, Cordoba, Materazzi as central defenders. In cases of excessive injuries, Chivu may also play as a center-back. This five-central defender configuration should be able to cope with the dense schedule of the second half of the season. In addition, another Inter Milan center-back, Rivas, has been confirmed to leave the team in winter. His destination is likely to be Chievo, Parma, or Brescia.