Fabio Capello believes that having Massimiliano Allegri’s winning mentality is a big plus for AC Milan, but has doubts about the forward department.
Capello knows exactly what it takes to win at Milan. In his first five seasons as the head coach, the Italian won four Serie A titles with Milan, and he also won the 1993–94 Champions League by defeating Barcelona 4-0 in a historic final.
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After a disastrous 2024-25 campaign across the board, the Rossoneri decided to go with a winner in Allegri, someone who has lifted 15 major trophies during his managerial career in Italian football. He is the only coach to win five consecutive Serie A and four consecutive Coppa Italia titles.
Certainties and doubts
Capello published a column in La Gazzetta dello Sport on the eve of the Serie A opener against Cremonese and he focused on his former club Milan above all.
“What begins tomorrow night at San Siro against Cremonese must be a season of redemption for Milan. And by redemption, when it comes to the Rossoneri, one thing can only be meant: the Scudetto,” he began.
“Even more so if a winner has arrived on the bench, a coach with clear ideas and who knows the environment and who has already won with the Rossoneri, like Allegri. Max will start with a significant advantage: without European competition, he and the team will be able to focus solely on Serie A, a starting position inevitably reminiscent of Conte’s Napoli a year ago, and we all know how that ended.
“Antonio accepted the Azzurri challenge, taking charge of a team coming off a disappointing tenth-place finish and leading them to the Scudetto. Conte was positioned to compete for the title: targeted signings and a completely new central axis, from Buongiorno to McTominay to Lukaku, his key striker.
“With Allegri, Milan should do the same, but their moves for a new striker seem to have followed a different logic, because after a lengthy negotiation with Hojlund, the Rossoneri have opted for Boniface, betting on a technically gifted striker, yes, but too often sidelined by physical problems.
“Furthermore, the Nigerian arriving from Bayer Leverkusen will need time to acclimatize in our Serie A, while the Dane from Manchester United would have been a ready-to-use striker, given his experience at Atalanta.
“When I read that the reasons behind the choice are primarily financial – the Hojlund deal could only be concluded with a loan with an obligation to buy, while Leverkusen will accept the option for Boniface – I wonder: shouldn’t a club like Milan, which has earned close to €200m from transfers this transfer window, invest in a centre-forward, the one who will be responsible for scoring the goals for the Scudetto?
“Taking a gamble on such an important role could be dangerous, especially since I’m convinced Leao’s adaptation to a central striker will be short-lived: Allegri would lose the best of the Portuguese, who is devastating when he starts wide on the left.
“Incidentally, on that side, Milan boasted one of the best pairings, if not the best, in all of Europe: when Rafa and Theo Hernandez were at their best, they had very few rivals.
“I’m curious to see how and how much Estupinan, signed from Brighton to replace the Frenchman who went to Saudi Arabia, will grow: in his debut against Bari in the Coppa Italia he showed good things with the ball at his feet, but I also noticed some difficulties in the defensive phase.
“Of course, Milan’s transfer window can’t be reduced to just the center forward. It’s worth noting that sporting director Tare has closed several interesting deals, especially in midfield. I’m obviously thinking of Modric, a world-class professor who can light up the Serie A scene even at forty, but also of Jashari and Ricci, talented youngsters with AC Milan credentials.
“In the middle of the field, however, I get the impression that balance is lacking: the quality is unquestionable, but who will be responsible for protecting the defence? Fofana alone, in my opinion, isn’t enough.
“They lack, for example, the muscle of a midfielder who works to win back balls. At the same time, the defence needs a centre-back capable of leading the entire defence – a Bremer-like profile, so to speak. It will be up to Allegri to find the right balance, a job at which Max has always been among the best, but it won’t be easy.
“His influence is certainly already evident: Milan are taking far fewer risks than in the recent past, there’s more order on the pitch, and certain players seem revitalized by the arrival of the new coach, Leao above all.
“It’s a shame Rafa won’t be on the pitch tomorrow to lead his teammates to their league debut. However, Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek will be there, two certainties: the American is already fit and capable of constantly creating danger in the opposition’s penalty area; the Englishman, if healthy, is a world-class player.
“At the centre of the attack will be Gimenez, a centre-forward who seems to have lost the magic touch of his early days with the Rossoneri: if Max can recover it and relaunch him, he’ll be well on his way. Will it be enough?”
Exactly what I commented yesterday. Milan making profit in the transfer window and not even trying for top strikers. The choice is still on who is the cheaper option.
Yeah I don’t think I can really agree with you here. I feel like this is a completely rational choice. A 40M obligation to buy for a player who has had two bad seasons is a bit too much. Remember, that is 40M we can’t spend next season when we know exactly what the team is missing. Also, even though media suggest otherwise, I’m not buying that Milan, Tare and Allegri have already written off Gimenez. I think he’s viewed as the number 1 starting from te bench (with Leao and Puli more than not leading the line) and in rotation. Now, spending 40M on a striker is only justified if he is considerably better than Gimenez. Otherwise, it’s a pretty hefty sum for a bench warmer (a loan would have done). I think that’s also why they’re more than comfortable going for Boniface. Even though he’s injury prone, he won’t realistically have to play more than half of the games this season (which he’s managed the last two seasons at Bayer). They will count on moments of brilliance now and than and I see that coming from Boniface more than Hojlund. Now, in the event Boniface gets injured or doesn’t suit the role, it’s bye bye after one season, for 4M. 36M saved. I think this move is a masterpiece. Not even yet touching on the subject of Hojlund probably not agreeing to a position as 3rd striker.
People are sleeping on the brilliancy of a loan move for a striker with Boniface’s potential
Potential? He is 25 in a few months and keeps being inured. Great player to be 2nd or 3rd striker in a top team, where he can do 20 games per season and he will do good. I don’t think he can be anything more than that as his injury record is unbelievably bad. He first needs to pass his medical, really suspicious Leverkusen is willing to loan him and with option at half the price they asked last season.
40m? I meant more like try for a top strikers, spend even 50-60M if necessary. I don’t think of Hojlund as that guy, not even close. Hojlund would be just a bit better bet than Boniface as he is never injured. But for me same type of deal, get the bargain option, a player that isn’t in form of was injured. I didn’t see Milan linked with a single striker that doesn’t fall into one of those 2 categories.
He seems to be commenting on the 2022 season. Theo and Rafa were c*ap last season as a duo, the magic was gone and they were predictable to everyone. At least Allegri is trying something different with Rafa’s role while requesting more defensive awareness from Estupinan. I prefer 1:0 wins to 5-0-5 formation and absurd spectacles in front of Mike.
my thoughts exactly. Theo and Rafa WERE good… a few years ago. Last season Theo was horrible. He always lacked defensively, but all was forgiven because he was good going forward, which didnt happen last year. I honestly welcomed Estupinian. He may not be as good as theo going forward, (few ppl are) but he is industrious and solid defensively. When you have shaky CBs as we do, you cant afford LBs like Theo, it leaves you exposed which is what happened. Had Theo played with Nesta – Stam, it wouldve been ok, they can cover his mistakes.
Because its not about reinvesting the money in to better players, but hoping to make good developing and cheaper deals that can earn the owners more money in the end.
Like the article highlights, there is a difference adding Buongiorno, McTominay and Lukaku to win the scudetto to compare it to De winther, jashari and Boniface. All still good deals though, but not same class.
We have more money to spend, but most of them will stay in the pockets.
I don’t really understand when people still talk about who to protect the Milan defense,”like Capello said while mentioning Fofana”. Why again did we buy Ricci? I think I’ve forgotten.
I don’t it’s 100% fair to say Hojlund would be a “certainty” in Serie A. He played half a season two years ago.
And he’s literally done nothing sense. He has a many question marks as Boniface. Just different ones.
^ Nothing since
Hojlond ready made haha ok buddy.