Beppe Marotta is once again being hailed as the master of the transfer market after bringing Romelu Lukaku back to Inter on loan, a year after selling him to Chelsea for £97.5 million ($119m).
It certainly looks like another excellent bit of business from one of the most revered characters in Italian football, one who began his career in calcio by taking charge of the youth sector of his hometown club, Varese, when he was still only 19 years of age.
Marotta then earned himself a reputation as a shrewd sporting director during spells at various mid-level clubs, such as Monza, Como, Ravenna and Venezia, before really starting to rise to prominence at Atalanta.
However, it was fine work at his next club, Sampdoria, that brought him to the attention of Juventus, who were in a state of utter disarray when he arrived in Turin in 2010.
Within a year, though, Marotta had laid the foundations of an unprecedented era of Serie A success, with Juve winning nine consecutive Scudetti thanks primarily to his managerial appointments and inspired signings.
However, after sensationally leaving Juve in 2018 following a falling-out with his fellow directors, Marotta joined bitter rivals Inter and promptly set about knocking his former club off their perch.
The Nerazzurri's 2021 title triumph represented further vindication of Marotta's methods and cemented his status as arguably the most influential director in the game today.
Below, GOAL runs through the best bargain buys of what has been an incredible career to date...
