Suning Holdings, the Chinese retail giant that is the majority shareholder of the team where Alexis Sánchez and Arturo Vidal play, is seeking investors interested in acquiring a stake in the Italian club in an effort to raise fresh capital to shore up its finances. The idea is not new. Suning was in talks with the venture capital firm BC Partners to sell part of its stake in the club, but the negotiations fell through earlier this year.

Inter's revenue, like that of many soccer clubs, was severely impacted by the pandemic. This year, the club struggled to pay its players' salaries, although it ultimately secured financing from the investment firm Oaktree Capital Management, which agreed last May to lend the club US$310 million.

An injection of fresh capital would give Inter the resources to pay off its debts and avoid what happened to its archrival, AC Milan, three years ago, when one of its creditors, the hedge fund Elliott Management, took ownership of the club after it failed to meet its financial obligations.