Stankovic was sold to Brugge last July for €9.5m with a structured buyback that allowed Inter to reclaim him for €23m this summer or €25m in 2027.
The club chose to act immediately — a decision taken before the June 15 notification deadline — after the Serbian posted nine goals and five assists in 55 appearances across all competitions as Brugge defended their Belgian Pro League title.
Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta had telegraphed the decision months ago, saying the buyback clause "is not there by chance."
The move was driven partly by internal need. Davide Frattesi is expected to leave San Siro this summer, and Stankovic represents both a high-ceiling replacement and the most defensible financial acquisition available to head coach Cristian Chivu given the existing contractual framework.
Whether Stankovic stays long-term at Inter is a separate question from whether the buyback is exercised. Calciomercato has reported that Inter would consider selling him immediately at a profit if a sufficiently large offer arrives — with Newcastle United and Brentford among the clubs already showing interest, and larger Premier League clubs expected to register formal interest in the coming weeks.
An offer of around €40m has been floated as the figure that would force Inter to reconsider.
Stankovic has six senior Serbia international caps and was born in Milan, having grown up entirely within Inter's academy system before his first loan move to Luzern in 2024.