Santon, born in 1991, came up through Inter Milan's youth academy.
Young Santon burst onto the scene in 2008.
At left back, he defended solidly and played the ball with composure. He once marked Cristiano Ronaldo one-on-one in a UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United, drawing everyone's attention!
During his time coaching Inter Milan, Mourinho once said this about Santon:
"In another 15 years, after Santon has played around 500 high-level professional matches, he'll grow into a world-class defender as great as Maldini. I have no doubt about that."
Back then, Santon and Balotelli were close friends.
One was a defender, the other a striker, and Italian football called them Inter's twin stars.
Santon was steadier in temperament and more level-headed, and Inter fans loved him even more. They called him the "prince" of the Meazza!
Unfortunately, the prince hadn't yet ascended the throne when he ran into a professional player's greatest obstacle—inury.
Repeated knee injuries eventually led to the removal of his meniscus.
The meniscus is a piece of tissue inside the knee. Its primary function is to cushion friction between the knee and the leg bones during movement, acting as a lubricant.
Once the meniscus is removed, even ordinary people feel pain when they run, let alone professional players competing at high intensity.
For a time, Inter had given up on him.
But Santon refused to give up on his career. After leaving Inter, he still managed to play in the Premier League with Newcastle.
Perhaps it was Santon's indomitable spirit and his sense of belonging as a product of Inter's youth academy that led the club to welcome its former prince home again in this transfer window!
Like Mancini, Santon had returned to Serie A with an urgent need to prove himself: I'm only 24! I