AC Milan’s work in the summer transfer market is far from done with over a couple of weeks still to go, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic confirmed as much today.
As Calciomercato.com recall, Ibrahimovic spoke to the journalists present at Casa Milan this morning during Emerson Royal’s press conference, and once again returned to his biblical analogy: “This is the fifth day of the seven that God created.”
Emerson joins Alvaro Morata and Strahinja Pavlovic to become the third summer signing, but there are still gaps in the squad to be filled and players to offload too, all while keeping an eye on the regulations.
Squad list reflections
The management must keep in mind the rules for squad list composition in Serie A and the Champions League. They can submit two lists of 25 players each for the competitions, and of those there must be four players who came through the Milan academy and four who came through an Italy academy.
There is another simple limit to observe: foreign players over the age of 22, which must not exceed the ceiling of 17. With the arrival of Emerson Royal, the Rossoneri have not only filled all the boxes but is also beyond the threshold.
Maignan, Tomori, Thiaw, Pavlovic, Kalulu, Theo Hernandez, Bennacer, Adli, Loftus-Cheek, Reijnders, Chukwueze, Pulisic, Okafor, Leao, Saelemaekers, Musah, Jovic and Morata are the names in the squad, and while Kalulu could still be removed, Emerson would take the spot instantly.
There is also the issue of Musah who counts as an Under 22 player for the Serie A squad list but would take a regular spot in the Champions League squad lists where the rules are slightly different.
Gaps to fill
Milan are continuing to try and sign three more pieces for the squad: a defensive midfielder, a more creative midfielder and a deputy striker. These are three roles that are already numerically covered at the moment and that is why there is a one in, one out policy.
Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana, Udinese’s Lazar Samardzic and Roma’s Tammy Abraham are targets that can only be achieved if three of the players for whom Milan have received expressions of interest – Thiaw, Adli, Bennacer, Saelemaekers and Jovic – are sold elsewhere.
Therefore, it is not only about economic resources to reinvest in incoming players, but spaces to free up to allow Fonseca to have an even more competitive squad on various fronts.
Busy ending awaits
With exactly 18 days to go until the end of the mercato, Geoffrey Moncada and Giorgio Furlani will be particularly busy in streamlining a squad that already last season forced Stefano Pioli to make some sacrifices and not be able to present a complete and comprehensive list of 25 players.
If Newcastle’s interest in Thiaw seems to have waned, Milan continue to trust in the pressure from some clubs in the Saudi league for both Bennacer and Adli. It is an idea that the former would accept more willingly while the latter is not as keen. Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Leicester have come forward for Adli, however.
Finally, the question of Jovic remains open, as he has chosen to wear the number 9 shirt and at the moment does not appear inclined to leave the Rossoneri. If the Serbian does not depart, the suggestion of Abraham as Morata’s deputy is destined to remain just that.