Speaking to SportWeek, the 36-year-old described a strange first experience of being out of contract after spells at Milan, Torino, Manchester United and Inter Milan, whose deal with him expired on 30 June.
“It’s a strange feeling, I had never really found myself at the end of a contract without a team. For me it’s all new, I spend more time with the children, I went to see Inter in Madrid with them. Training alone is not like doing it with team-mates, for me the hardest part is the physical side.
"Mentally I have the same fire inside that makes me want to keep playing, but form is hard to preserve, working hard alone is tough and also a bit boring.”
Darmian says he had expected to be at a new club by now.
“Also because there were some chats, I spoke to a few sporting directors. In concrete terms, though, nothing was closed because I had already had a general discussion with Inter at the end of my contract. I would have liked to do another year there, I still want to play, but it has to be worth it. I’m convinced I’m worth a good Serie A side.”
He also looked at the champions’ start to the season, and at the team that took control of the game at the Bernabéu.
“I expected it because the team is strong and will be able to dominate for a long time yet. The work comes from a long way back, it was a path that led to creating the Inter capable of holding the match in their hands at the Bernabéu.
"The market added quality because Stones is strong, my former team-mates speak very highly of Curtis Jones and Spence we just have to wait for. Rivals? Como and Roma have something extra, but we will have to see how they react to the double commitment. I would never rule out Juventus and Milan, although they are also aiming decisively at the Europa League.”
At the other end of the career ladder, Lecce have sent 20-year-old striker Jović back to Serbia. They have arranged a temporary transfer to Voždovac, who play in the Serbian second division.
The 1.90m centre-forward, born in Novi Sad, first caught the eye at IMT Belgrade, where his form in the UEFA Youth League brought him to the attention of Lecce’s technical director Pantaleo Corvino.
Corvino signed him in the summer of 2025 on a contract reported to run until 2029, but left him at IMT Belgrade to finish that season with the club. He now returns to the Serbian capital for another loan, rather than joining up with a Serie A squad.