This summer can be described as a restart in Milan. After an embarrassing last season, lots of changes have happened in the club, and more are going to follow in the next few weeks until the season finally starts. The main question is whether Allegri will be able to build a team that can compete for the title or qualify for the Champions League.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
The last season was one to forget immediately. With the eighth place in the final rankings, the season turned out to be the worst since 2014/15. Several problems were evident within the club, including underperforming players and several injuries.
Although it needs to be clearly said that the club’s choices in terms of new coaches weren’t the best either. Paulo Fonseca and his replacement Sérgio Conceição, both stayed only 182 days each inside the club after they were forced to leave.
Definitely not the best circumstances to have a successful season and develop a team. In the end, the club failed to qualify for any European competitions as well, and a restart is more than needed.
Allegri and Tare should bring success
Therefore, a huge club like Milan needs some new people in authority and fresh input from the outside. That’s why they hired Massimiliano Allegri once again as the new head coach, and with Igli Tare a new, experienced sporting director too. Both are trusted to rebuild the squad and implement a new as well as successful playing style at the club.
‘After the sacking of Stefano Pioli, a successful coach like Allegri should have come in to win the Scudetto after finishing second in the 2023/24 season. The signing of Allegri comes a year too late, but as they say, better late than never.
Allegri adapts his playing style to the existing players so that Milan does not have to initiate a radical change. The only thing missing is a playful and lethal striker and another ‘regista’ who, like Ricci, gives the team more balance and can build up the game.
If Allegri continues with a back five, it would make sense to sign another centre-back in order to be well positioned in the event of injuries too’, argues Serie A and Milan expert Sascha Baharian from the football portal Kickfieber.de.
Despite some promising first impressions, especially during their friendlies against Liverpool, it is completely clear that some more transfer activities will have to follow soon like Baharian is saying as well.
There will be some more departures, and at the same time, Allegri will need some new players for key positions in order to build a successful starting eleven and to be prepared for a promising new season.
Reinforcements are needed
By having a look at the current squad, it’s pretty clear that there will be some movement until the transfer market ends at the beginning of September. Having in mind that Allegri tends to play with a back three or back five and Malick Thiaw was linked with a departure as well, the club needs to strengthen this position.
Currently, there are only four central defenders for this position, including Thiaw. Of course, a season without any European matches leads to fewer matches, and this could help, but having at least one more player could help Allegri have some more options.
Another interesting position seems to be the central midfield. Yes, Allegri currently already has eight players for this position, some more offensive and others more defensively oriented. Despite having this in mind, the club looks for new players here too.
The simple reason is that some of the current squad members still could be sold, and other player types seem to be sought. One of their most interesting candidates is still Ardon Jashari from Club Brugge, and this clearly shows what Milan is looking for. The desired player should be a leader in midfield and become one of the most important players in Allegri’s system.
Another position that needs to be strengthened is for sure Milan’s attack. Allegri is usually plays with two strikers upfront and barely uses or needs wingers in his system. Players like Chukwueze or Okafor might not stay within the club despite Okafor’s last performance against Liverpool.
Instead, the club is already actively searching for another physically strong striker besides Leão, Pulisic, and Gimenez. Lots of players have been linked to Milan already with Demirovic, Mateta and Boniface the latest. It seems to be very open to who will end up at Milan at the start.
Season’s aim: Champions League qualification?!
Milan is heading into a very important season. Another year without qualification for any European competition would be disastrous for fans, players, and the finances too. That’s why it’s crucial that Allegri and Tare can be as free as possible with their decisions and build a squad that will be able to at least qualify for the Europa League or, even better, the Champions League again.
At the same time, the competition is definitely on track and has come up with lots of really interesting signings as well. That’s why a really difficult and balanced league can be expected for sure. But this shouldn’t become any excuse at the end of the season because a huge club like Milan with this kind of ambitions, highly paid players, and a coach like Allegri should have high ambitions and need to improve their level from day to day throughout the season.
If they manage to do so, Milan is going to get back to the top four at least, and we all will see what’s possible. Playing for the Scudetto should be the goal in the medium term, but this season it will most likely not be the case again.