He may have just helped Boca to a memorable thrashing of rivals River Plate but rumours in Italy are suggesting that Inter Milan are keen to bring Fernando Gago back to Serie A. With the transfer window due to slam shut shortly, Tuttosport are reporting that Roberto Mancini’s struggling side have earmarked the 28-year-old as a potential midfield recruit.

In spite of Inter Milan’s current plight it seems unlikely that a move for Gago would have any substance. Not only is the window about to close with the player still with Boca Juniors during preseason but the truth of the matter is that the former Real Madrid midfielder has rarely impressed since his return to La Bombonera.

Injuries have certainly hampered his progress but all too often Gago is too easily hurried and harrassed into mistakes and certainly does not like the physical part of playing in central midfield.

Rising through the Boca youth ranks to the first team, Gago was seen as the next great deep-lying midfield playmaker. A move to Real Madrid followed but since then Gago has never really settled. After being loaned to Roma and then joining Valencia he found his way back to Argentina and although Alejandro Sabella persisted with him in the national side, this was based far more on his relation with Messi than his club form.

Indeed in the past couple of years his best performances have been for the national side. During qualification for the World Cup, Gago was instrumental and his ability to feed Messi was the factor in him remaining in the squad. However, in Brazil, although he started in the side he fell out of favour for the more mobile and combative, Lucas Biglia.

Fresh from the victory over River, confidence will be high in the Boca camp ahead of the new season and so they would be relucatant to lose Gago at this stage. But while he might remain central to Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s plans ahead of a busy 2015 I would not see him having much of an impact in Serie A.