Milan (June 2021) Update

AC Milan is one of the clubs I grew up knowing about. Kaka and Seedorf, in particular, stood out to me. When I actually started to follow the sport properly, they promptly declined, becoming a "banter era" club from around 2013-2019. Of course, most of the success of the 90s and 00s was down to overspending, and that caught up to them. This isn't a piece about that, however. I've written about how I'd replace Zlatan, but now with Champions League football FINALLY back on the menu, I'll be going in depth about how the squad looks and what needs to change to sustain a respectable level of success for a club of this stature.

First, I'll start out with this ins and outs, contract wise. Two loan players, Brahim and Dalot, appear likely to return. Brahim may have already been finalized. Meite and Tonali are on loan with option to buy. I'd assume the option for the latter would be exercised. The Donnarumma brothers are gone, as are Calhanoglu and Mandzukic. Tomori was also on loan, but they've already made that permanent. Caldara, Conti, and Pobega are all out on loan, though I don't really see any of them having a first team place any time soon. Maybe they could be bench options. I guess I'll give my say on the guys leaving for nothing, as well as Tonali. I don't have much issue with Calhanoglu or Donnarumma leaving, if I'm honest. They wanted a lot of money, and it's fair for the club to not give in. Getting Maignan to replace Donnarumma makes a ton of sense, so it's just about "replacing" Calhanoglu now.

I'm not super stoked about the future of Tonali, at least in the current Milan setup. In the 4-2-3-1, both Bennacer and Kessie are much better fits. The way the team plays also doesn't allow/require the time on the ball Tonali seems to want. Last quick point on the "free" outgoings; it's a horrible look to have accrued less than 3 million pounds TOTAL from Andre Silva, Calhanoglu, and Donnarumma. You can argue that Gigio played a huge role in getting CL, which brings in a huge payout in itself, and I guess Hakan played a role as well. But Silva, that one's a joke. Rebic is a pretty average player, and they also have all of Castillejo, Hauge, Leao and Saelemakers to contribute little from the wings.

Real quick, I just want to go through some transfer blunders in recent years (17/18 onwards), having been triggered by the Andre Silva thing. In effect, they bought him for 34m and traded him for Rebic… Bonucci for 38m, only to be flipped for Caldara, who's been injured the entire time. Conti for 21 million just for him to be loaned out as well. Biglia for 18 million... Paqueta for 35 million, sold to Lyon for about half of that amount. Piatek for 31m after 1/2 season of good form. Kalinic period, and for 20m. Castillejo and Laxalt for 19 and 17 million, respectively. Leao so far hasn't been close to worth his 27m fee. It's just shocking to me how poor the business has been. It's like Everton; buying players with no coherent plan, constantly changing managers, wondering why they aren't reaching desired places in the table. Next summer's crop of expiring contracts is worrying as well, as that includes Calabria, Kessie and Kjaer. The Dane is older, but he should be captain and they'll struggle to replace him if he goes. Romagnoli is also in this group, though he's been replaced by Tomori in the starting XI. I'd be looking to tie him down long term, which means "letting" him start, or sell him this summer. Calabria needs to be re-signed ASAP, as does Kessie, or sold this summer and properly replaced. This business of buying players that end up flopping and losing guys for free cannot happen.

The second half of the 2020/21 season incapsulates why I don't think it's a good idea to keep Pioli. The side continued the form they had established at the end of the previous campaign, and much like Roma, Milan struggled to cope with Europa League fixtures as 2021 began. I think it's a combination of lack of depth and getting "figured out". That is, there's not a cohesive attacking strategy when the opposition is in a set shape. As it is, Pioli likes to get them in quick transitions, using a target man to hold up the ball as the rest of the team gets forward. The fullbacks, Theo in particular, is key in finding end product, as he acts almost as a left winger at times. That can't really happen, however, when the other team's in a low block, and this wasn't addressed. It certainly doesn't help that the #10 in the side (both in number and role) left for Inter. I'm not a Calhanoglu fan; I think he's underwhelmed compared to what he showed at Hamburg back in the day as a very young player, and in moments at Leverkusen. This is all to say that there are a number of issues at hand. Zlatan is injured, and nearing the age of 40. I've said before that I think renewing his deal was not smart. Giroud has been strongly linked. I think in terms of being a target man in the purist sense, this is a good idea. However, Zlatan is miles better even now in terms of skill level on the ball, aka dribbling and passing. As frustrating as Calhanoglu can be, his end product stood out last season for Milan, and that needs to be replaced. I wonder if it could finally be time for Berardi to move on from Sassuolo. He's playing pretty well at the Euros, is at an age to play at a serious club, and De Zerbi just abandoned the club for Shakhtar. Another shout is Ziyech, though Chelsea may well want to keep him, since he only arrived last season. I mention those two because they're 1 and 2 in the "similar players" tab on fbref and could be on the move this summer. With those two, I look at Berardi as more of a scorer who can pass as well, while Ziyech is a creator who can score. Both would line up on the right of the 4-2-3-1, with Leao/Rebic on the left and Brahim through the middle behind Giroud.

To conclude, I don't see too many permanent moves being made this summer. Giroud on the cheap is a good alternative to the washed Ibra. Tonali permanent; could work out, or not. Maybe a backup CB if Romagnoli is sold. Some loans from Real Madrid. Same coach. I'd expect a similar season to the last, honestly. Won't seriously challenge for the league, but will be in the mix for a CL spot for sure. Brighter financial outlook, which is a win for the club.