Luka Jovic is in fantastic form for AC Milan but the management still want to sign another striker to bolster the attacking department, according to a report.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) talks about Jovic’s ‘perfect month’ and how it has changed his status at Milan from ghost to a valuable contributor. He has five goals in 15 games, at an average of one every 115 minutes.
The brace the other evening against Cagliari in the Coppa Italia, his first for the Rossoneri, came after the goals against Frosinone, Atalanta and Salernitana. From the beginning of December to today no one has done better than him: Jovic is the Serie A player who has scored the most across all competitions.
Is it enough to redesign the hierarchies of the Rossoneri attack? No, not yet: Giroud was and remains the starting No.9, but Jovic has shown Stefano Pioli that he can really count on him now. Will it be enough for Milan to review their positions on the market in front of goal? It will not alter that either.
What about Jovic’s future, given his deal expires next June? Well, if his performance is that of the last thirty days, a happy ending is around the corner, and the last-minute operation that took him from Fiorentina to Milan on the last day of the transfer market will officially become the deal of the year.
Milan tried various options from Morata to Scamacca, from Broja to Taremi up to Rafa Mir and Jonathan David – both last-minute loan attempts – before Furlani, Moncada and D’Ottavio decided to turn to the Serbian.
Having landed at Milanello with the ’emergency’ label stuck on him, it took Jovic a while to break out of a slump and find an acceptable physical condition. Pioli used unusual methods with him and the more Luka struggled, the more the coach offered him opportunities.
What about the future? The difference in strategy compared to the more recent striker signings will change: Milan’s new centre-forward will not be over 30 like Ibrahimovic, Giroud and Mandzukic were.
Jonathan David of Lille remains the name circled in red for June, but if the January transfer window offers opportunities within reach budget, the management will be ready to seize them.
This is why Serhou Guirassy remains on the list. The 27-year-old from Stuttgart has 19 goals in 16 games and is used to playing like Pioli’s centre-forwards do. The €17m release clause is affordable, but the €5m net salary requested by the player forces reflections.
Without the tax benefits of the Growth Decree the gross salary would rise from €6.5m to €9.2m, while there is competition from the Premier League and now from Bayern Munich, without forgetting Guirassy will be at the Africa Cup of Nations this month.
