Esposito has been the great revelation of Inter's Club World Cup campaign this month.
Stramaccioni told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Absolutely yes (I'd keep him). What is sometimes underestimated is that living in certain environments, training with certain teammates and undergoing similar pressures makes you grow and mature. If you are strong you have to stay at Inter. And Pio is.
"The Nerazzurri do not have a player with his characteristics today, physically strong and able to play with his back to the goal.
"Thuram-Lautaro-Bonny-Pio Esposito nice quartet? Lautaro is in great shape and wants to take it all back. Thuram is unquestionable, Bonny is a player of great quality, strength and perspective. Esposito can complete the poker in a great way, I see him absolutely complementary to the other three even in the different possible pairings.
"Who does he remind me of? The first Luca Toni, the one from Palermo with Guidolin. For the way he positions his body, for the way he makes the first control and for the feint that he likes so much with which he scored against River Plate. And then, let me say, what a character.
"In the first five minutes (against River Plate) he took a kick from Diaz, the best scorer in the Argentine championship, and another from Martinez Quarta. A sort of 'welcome' to the match. He didn't suffer them at all. He started hitting them too and in the long run he won every duel."