AC Milan want to believe in the Scudetto fight and the possibility of winning a trophy this season, so the management are looking at reinforcements to boost the squad.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, Milan are looking for players that are young, ambitious, with a desire to join and with the ability to have an impact in Italy and Europe.
Aren’t they ready to make an immediate impact, as all coaches want from their January signings? Don’t they have the experience to arrive and handle everything calmly? The club are willing to take the risk.
Milan sees a way to stay in the Champions League zone, try to win a trophy and at the same time continue along the youth line, which has brought some disappointments (Charles De Ketelaere, Sergino Dest and Aster Vranckx above all) but also players like Pierre Kalulu and Malick Thiaw.
The January mercat will probably come into full swing next week for Milan, with three reinforcements expected. Another central defender is the guaranteed arrival, a full-back is definitely probable and for the third name it is a case of waiting for developments.
The second half of January may bring a striker, currently in the third row of priorities, and in midfield it is best not to get distracted. Rade Krunic is only virtually in the squad because he mentally abandoned Milan a few weeks ago, a surprising choice for someone considered – until December – to be a great professional. If an opportunity arises to replace him, the squad could expand.
However, the priority at the moment is Lilian Brassier, a central defender at Brest, who turned 24 years old in November and already has 51 games in his last year and a half in Ligue 1. He virtually always plays and Brest, also thanks to him, are in France fourth behind PSG, Nice and Monaco.
Milan llike him because he has qualities – physical and otherwise – and the potential grow. He is left-footed as desired, he can play in a three and a four-man defence too. The theme here is competition. Brest is asking for €10-12m for Brassier and will get it, from Milan or another club.
Monaco took the lead in December, Porto and Leverkusen made inquiries, PSG have just lost Skriniar – who could be out until the end of the season – and could make a bigger offer.
It is a complex pursuit, with two solutions: a transfer in January or June. Milan are still interested, either on a permanent basis or a loan with option to buy. Brassier is ready, it depends on what the best offer he receives will be.
Milan are not abandoning Clément Lenglet, their number 1 target in December. Of course, it is not easy to engineer a three-way deal with Aston Villa, to whom he was loaned in the summer, and Barcelona who are his parent club.
However, Milan continue to consider the Frenchman a very useful solution. Lenglet is not young but he would help out immediately and bring experience, but the Rossoneri certainly cannot pay his salary – around €7m net per season – and so a lot here depends on the player and on Barcelona.
We are talking about more affordable figures for Filippo Terracciano, the Verona wild card. Fiorentina are a serious competitor but Milan have met his agent and now it is up to Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada to decide whether to sink and submit an offer.
It feels like €6-7m would be enough and Terracciano is more than interested in making the jump to a big club. Milan, if they accelerated, would be the logical favourite given they have shown so much faith in youth.
The attack is currently on stand-by. Serhou Guirassy is the name that has been targeted for some time and his €17m release clause is not a problem, but the Premier League is an attraction for the Guinea international.
Milan can no longer count on the Growth Decree, which raises the overall amount of the operation. Guirassy meanwhile is at the Africa Cup of Nations yet he is seriously considering a move in January. Milan are thinking of something else today, in 10 days who knows.
Brassier – No: we are not a French ligue 1 team and we have Gabbia back and Simic as cover until others return.
Terracciano – 100 % yes, young, already lots of serie A experience, can play multiple positions, cheap, italian: No brainer.
Guirassy – No: 1 season wonder, AFCON, wages. We have Jovic, Giroud, Okafor, Camarda
Don’t know how we’d fit anyone else into our massive squad.
I’m sure they are working on cutting a few players from this squad. Starting with Krunic. And I think Caldara who never plays will actually be the next to go, as his contract expires in Summer of 2024 anyways.
But in contrast to other teams in the Serie A, our squad is actually smaller and so is our wage bill (FAR SMALLER compared to Juve or Inter, it isn’t even a comparison). According to Capology, our wage bill for this season is 88 million gross. Inter’s is 115 million. Roma’s is a shocking 102 million gross (they don’t get their money’s worth lol!). And Juve is the highest at 121 million.
Not sure how our squad is bigger than any of the others.
“Rade Krunic is only virtually in the squad because he mentally abandoned Milan a few weeks ago, a surprising choice for someone considered – until December – to be a great professional.”
I thought the real experts (ie. people reading this site) have constantly reminded others that Krunic has ALWAYS done what has been asked and acted professionally and – most of all – NEVER COMPLAINED. Yeah. These people know better than the media. Am I right or am I right? 😀 😀 😀
Isn’t it possible that he was acting in one way previously, and differently now?
Then people shouldn’t use phrases such as “he has never complained about anything”. 🙂
Have you ever worked (actually full stop)?
But relevant to this scenario have you ever worked out a notice period?
It’s usually not one’s most productive period.
I wonder how many footballers work through notice periods every single season due to the farcical transfer market.
So much wasted talent.
He’s never let us down on the pitch. Actually there’s a question, had ever actually let us down on the pitch!
It’s hard to think of a single incident where he’s cost us a match.
“Have you ever worked (actually full stop)?
But relevant to this scenario have you ever worked out a notice period?”
LOL. No, because I’m a 5-year-old. 😀 😀 😀
Have I worked out a notice period? Of course I have. But if I worked in sports I would have used that time to prove the other teams that I’m worth investing into and not act like a spoiled kid who wants his breakfast on a silverplate.
“So much wasted talent. He’s never let us down on the pitch. ”
Wait, what??!!! Are we still talking about Krunic??? Talent? LOL. Nope. Good workrate (until September that is) but talented? Oh, please!
Never let us down on the pitch? Never? How about the first season all the time? How about after his injury this season? I guess if your expectations were REALLY, REALLY low, he might have not let down.
“It’s hard to think of a single incident where he’s cost us a match.”
That was too easy: Last Juve-match. Everything was under control until he came on.
Talent and Krunic are two words I would never use together. The guy was a decent utility player for a while, and that’s it. Kinda reminded me of a weaker version of Juraj Kucka. I actually rated Kucka above Krunic.
He let us down plenty of times, even to the point where it cost us points. Including this season.
I kind of feel bad for krunic
Feel bad for Milan not Krunic. He wants more money which he is not ready for.
Milan need someone more skilful and more consistent on the pitch than Krunic
Compare him to Bennacer then, a stronger more consistent player who other teams fear and with intelligence on and off the field!
cant blame a player who has been giving his all from time to time but he asks for a raise and he cant get a raise..isnt it logical to ask for a raise where u work?
or is there a law dats says u have to die for the team u play for on low wages??
Sure, it’s logical to ask for a raise. But if you’re not on the level of Messi, you don’t ask for the salary of Messi. Krunic has never been or never will be worthy of 3M€ per season. NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS!
“or is there a law dats says u have to die for the team u play for on low wages??”
And I bet Krunic’s family is starving and he’d probably die on the pitch in two years if he continued to play for Milan with his current salary. I think that question deserves the “Drama queen of the month” award already in the first week of January. Well done! 🙂