The impending departure of someone who has publicly declared that he'd like to stay forever given the chance, but has been simultaneously been pushed out at every given opportunity, if happens on a free or for a measly 30 million (which will only go to cover the 40 million Zhang wants for the summer, leaving us -10 million to find two starters seeing as De Vrij is leaving as well) is first of all a sackable offence for Marotta.
Never have I seen such a mishandling of a player's contract and situation, and I've seen Milan lose three of their biggest starts for 0 money during the last two years.
Also, it symbolizes something very important; if you play for Inter, you're not playing for the club, for the fans or in the pursuit of sporting achievements.
You're simply an employee in a propogandic vessel for a Chinese company that has no idea what it's doing, has no sporting direction, is bleeding unfathomable amounts of money which can never ever conceivably be covered by Inter, is not prioritizing winning football matches or trophies, and your only role, if you're good enough, is to play well enough to get sold for a sum that momentarily lets said Chinese company keep hold of its property. That is your role. Maybe take a selfie with Steven Zhang for marketing purposes if he can be bothered to fly to Milano, but that's about it. If you're worth anything substantiable, they will do their very best force you out, no matter how important you are to the team, the locker room or the club as a whole.
I've always shook my head at the people calling for our best players to leave, but if you're Barella, Bastoni or Lautaro, I don't see how you can miss the fact that you're not appreciated - not really - by the ones in charge.
I also don't see how you'd be particularly interested or wholeheartedly engaged in figthing for someone that clearly doesn't fight for you, which I think incidentally has a lot to do with what we've seen on the pitch this season.