Edin Dzeko was a surprise inclusion for Inter in Saturday's friendly against Dynamo Kyiv, as the Bosnian striker started for the Serie A giants and even netted his first goal despite still waiting to make official his move from Roma.
Dzeko was yet to finalise his transfer going into the game, although Inter did confirm his signing hours after the final whistle.
All of which made his appearance at the weekend all the more curious, although Inter fans will be pleased to see the forward start on the right foot.
No transfer but one goal
Inter kept Dzeko's start under close wraps ahead of Saturday's match. The Nerazzurri played behind closed doors in Monza and also made no mention of their first XI on social media prior to kick-off.
The club did share a photo of their dressing room, but the striker's shirt was conspicuous by its absence.
Next Match
That meant fans were in for a surprise when Dzeko took the field and made an immediate impact.
Nicolo Barella opened the scoring for Inter by finishing off a slick move between the Bosnian and Stefano Sensi. Barella then turned provider to play in Dzeko, who made no mistake in converting his chance to make it 2-0.
The bigger picture
Despite Saturday's bizarre twist, Dzeko's arrival at Inter, who this week sold Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, was eventually confirmed.
"FC Internazionale Milano is pleased to announce the signing of Edin Dzeko," the club signalled on its official website shortly after his 'debut'.
"The forward has joined the club from Roma on a permanent transfer, having signed a two-year contract that runs until 30 June 2023."
Dzeko, 35, had spent the past six seasons at Roma, scoring 119 goals in 260 appearances in all competitions.
In a busy day at San Siro, the Italians also announced the arrival of Denzel Dumfries, who joins from PSV in a deal reportedly worth an initial €12 million.
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