Hope you don’t expect to see Wesley Sneijder anytime soon

Inter Milan’s rebound under Andrea Stramaccioni is more remarkable when you know they’ve accomplished it without their best player. At least, they’ve one it without the player we thought to be their best, because for as big a part as Wesley Sneijder was in the Nerazzurri’s 2009-10 successes, the most conspicuous part of this 2012-13 season has been his absence.

While his Inter team has surged to second in Serie A after finishing last season outside of Italy’s Champions League spots, Sneijder’s been limited to five games and one goal, a thigh injury keeping him out since September. In the interim, Stramaccioni’s adjusted the formation(s) such that Sneijder’s preferred position — attacking midfielder, behind a striker — isn’t always used.

Thus you have some of Inter’s reasoning behind wanting Sneijder to take a pay cut, unfair as that may be. After all, the Milan club is party to the contract which gives Sneijder $7.8 million per season, though in a world where players and agents are constantly leveraging moves up the international soccer ladder, it’s difficult to muster too much ire toward a club using their powers to reduce the cost of an increasingly surplus talent.

Those powers include the ability to keep Sneijder out of the team, Inter’s current tactic. As the 28-year-old claims to be approaching full fitness, Inter has left him out of the team and barred him from using Twitter, saying he will not play until “modifications to his contract” (a pay cut) have been made.

Per club director Marco Branca:

“We will give him and his entourage the time to evaluate our proposal, so the decision not to use the player can be traced back to this wait for a more relaxed and clear situation.

“The club and Coach are in agreement that until the player is in a clear state of mind, he will not play.”

With Inter playing well (despite going 1-2-1 since defeating Juventus), they can afford a hard line that will see Sneijder move in January. That has to be the motivation behind their stance, as they’re surely not naive enough to think a player like Sneijder will just acquiesce to a reduced wage based on nothing more than his club’s request.

With Inter only in Europa League, Sneijder’s ability to be registered for Champions League could garner a decent price. As long as they don’t get too greedy for an expensive, out-of-favor, not playing 28-year-old, the Nerazzurri should have no trouble getting Sneijder off the books in the January window.