Massimiliano Allegri looks set to steer AC Milan to their goal of a top four finish, which is step one of his second spell at the club.
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As La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanNews) write this morning, yesterday afternoon’s victory over Hellas Verona brought his Milan team significantly closer to qualifying for next season’s Champions League, given that the gap to fifth place is now eight points.
Allegri spoke more clearly than in recent weeks about his future, dispelling any doubts that had lingered about him taking the Italy job: “There hasn’t been a call [from Italy], and my thoughts are solely on Milan. We’ve started a journey together, and we’ll continue it together.”
In the pre-match interview he did with DAZN, sporting director Igli Tare also made statements about the coach, confirming the club’s desire to move forward with Allegri.
“There’s nothing to discuss about Allegri: he’s done an excellent job, he still has a long contract with us and, as he said yesterday [Saturday], he likes to plan, to develop a major project. That’s why we’re working together for a successful future,” he said.
Allegri’s requests
It’s no secret that the coach has already begun planning next season with the management, as he also confirmed after the game yesterday.
“For a few months now, we’ve been discussing the evolution of next year’s team. The club has done an excellent job in the transfer market and has combined a good mix of young players and more experienced players.
“However, the management is well aware that this season we have one competition, while next season, if we qualify for the Champions League, there will be two [plus the Coppa Italia]. That’s why we’ll have to review the number of players in the squad.”
The paper adds that Allegri’s transfer requests are quite clear: he wants a central defender, a central midfielder, a wing-back and a centre-forward, all with international experience. These four key players will then be joined by some young players to complete the squad.
However, the Milan coach’s focus is primarily on the four experienced additions, who shouldn’t be gambles, but ‘Rabiot-style’ players – those ready to contribute from day one.