AC Milan are looking at how to build the attack for the future and the plan is to invest in a young centre-forward, with one name topping the list.
As our colleagues at SempreMilan.it report, Olivier Giroud’s renewal is now only a matter of days away and he will sign his new deal when the team return from Napoli, but Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara know another striker is needed.
The directors continue to watch the forward market carefully and the first name on the list at present is that of Folarin Balogun, who is owned by Arsenal but is on loan at Stade de Reims in Ligue 1 where he has impressed this season.
Balogun has scored 18 goals and has added 3 assists in Ligue 1 in the current campaign, making himself one of the main candidates for winning the title of top scorer along with Kylian Mbappe. At the end of the season he will return to Arsenal, who could sell for €25m.
Milan, also through their scouting network, have been following him for some time before he exploded this season. However, what is clear is that they won’t have time to waste because the risk is that an auction breaks out.
Jonathan David, Chukwueze, Parisi and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
I’ll be surprised if Milan move quick enough. Auoar has already been missed.
So I’ve been digging through the stats, and I’m beginning to think that Elye Wahi might actually be the best pick. He has about the same goals scored this season but a better track record, is a year younger, is taller, and isn’t owned by the first place PL club who will be able to demand max value as they don’t have to worry about money.
Yes I saw his stats, and his goal/shot ratio is very good compared to others. We might be able to get him from half the price we will pay to buy Balogun. But the main issue is that 2 big EPL clubs are also eying him.
Maybe they will go for Balogun instead? No work permit issues to deal with.
He’d probably be my third or fourth pick. My preferences would be:
Rasmus Hojlund of Atalanta
Gonçalo Ramos of Benfica
Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt
Milan’s main priority though, should be getting CDK comfortable and familiar with the striker role in Pioli’s system. It’s the position where he’s had the most success before coming to Milan, so I find it ridiculous that he’s not been given a chance in that role yet. Don’t get me wrong, I can clearly see why Pioli is obsessed with turning him into a playmaker but now’s not the time. Let the kid play where he’s proven to be most effective and then build on that.
With Colombo possibly coming back and maybe even Lazetic, plus Giroud extending, I’m not so sure that a striker is necessarily a priority for us.