Bonny surprises everyone at Inter Milan except Chivu, who already knew

Arriving quietly, Ange Bonny is turning heads at Inter Milan’s training camp. But not for Cristian Chivu, who coached him at Parma and knows his true potential

While waiting for Lookman, Inter Milan is already enjoying the emergence of a new attacking option. 

Ange Bonny, who arrived quietly, is surprising everyone at Appiano Gentile—except for Cristian Chivu, who already knew him well from their shared experience at Parma.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport via Fcinter1908 writes: “Bonny’s favorite playground isn’t Versailles. Give him the grass near the box, twenty or thirty meters of space to accelerate, and he’ll be happy. That’s his natural habitat. 

The Inter Milan striker arrived at Appiano with a goal and a penalty earned after a long sprint in open space. 

Chivu started him alongside Lautaro, and he didn’t disappoint: in the first half, he latched onto a long ball down the left, pushed it forward, beat Prestia, and forced Re Cecconi to bring him down: mission accomplished.”

Bonny proves versatile and powerful in Chivu’s Inter Milan attack

Bonny has shown he can be a valuable asset in multiple tactical systems. In the 3-5-2 formation, he can support the main striker—as he did at Parma alongside Argentine target man Pellegrino (six foot three)—while at Inter Milan, he’ll pair up with Lautaro, a more technical and refined forward. Together, they earned applause in the friendly against the U23 side.

In a 3-4-2-1 setup, Bonny can play both as a striker and as an attacking midfielder, assisting either Lautaro or Pio Esposito. That’s who Bonny is: a tactical crowbar, useful for unlocking different defenses.

Chivu will work to make him even more clinical in front of goal. Last season, he scored six goals in 37 matches, taking 64 total shots. 22 of them were on target, for a conversion rate of thirty percent. 

Thuram hit nearly 42%, Lautaro 34%, and Lookman 39%. That’s where Bonny needs to improve.

But the Frenchman also holds his ground physically: he finished last season with 140 duels won—second at Parma behind Djuric. 

He also led the team in successful dribbles: 36—the same number as Lookman.

Bonny’s story began on the tatami. Before lacing up his boots, he was throwing opponents on the mat. 

Born in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris also home to Reda Belahyane, he got serious at Chambray, a small club in Tours, the city split by two rivers and known for its Loire Valley castles.

His early mentor was Benjamin Perroux, one of his first coaches, who shared: “He hated losing. Sometimes he’d stop playing and walk off the field sulking—a kind of ‘it’s my ball and I make the rules’ attitude. At twelve. 

That tells you everything about his mindset. He’s always had clear ideas. Inter Milan fans can rest easy—Ange will entertain them.”

The debut? A success.