AC Milan’s summer recruits have been hit and miss, and three players in particular have not met expectations so far. A report has suggested that in the summer, movement can be expected.
After the investments made in the 2022-23 season, there were demands to improve on them in the 2023-24 summer mercato, and whilst there have been successes in Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tijjani Reijnders and Christian Pulisic, there have, unfortunately, been some unsuccessful coups.
Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews) have written that Noah Okafor’s and Samuel Chukwueze’s performances against Monza fell below the levels expected – which is not a new feeling. Neither player immediately hit the ground running, and given the fees paid for both, they have been very underwhelming.
Additionally, Luka Jovic is at risk of his contract not being extended. Between December and January, the Serbian striker had turned a corner and looked red hot. Against Monza, Jovic showed he was red hot in another sense, and when the Rossoneri need reliability, being dismissed after receiving an opportunity is the polar opposite of what is required.
The report suggests that no decision has been made on their futures yet, and there are several vital tests for many players, and redemption will be needed if they want to remain at Milanello next season.
With regards to Chuk – no doubt he has been awful. A poor preseason didn’t help but time for excuses is long gone. Probably worth keeping until next winter and if not luck and depending on what happens with Leao and the fight on the wings – loan/ sell.
Jovic messed up last game but he has been phenomenal for what has been invested. And Okafor has been as good or better than expected, injuries aside.
Expecting a completely new set of young players, especially with several signed very late in the window, to hit the ground running on day 1 was never realistic in the first place.
They need a season and a pre-season before we can really judge them properly. Look how Adli is doing this season, look how Leao took time to bed in. Some work out instantly, such as Tomori, but most take time to settle in, especially to a competitive league where they’re expected to bring their A game every weekend and midweek. It’ll come if they’re the right players, but it’s too soon to say at this point.
Not to mention the knee-jerk reaction. A week ago, Jovic was the best sub in Serie A, an amazing piece of business and we couldn’t believe he wasn’t getting more game time. Now, he’s an idiot in one game and suddenly a huge disappointment.
Okafor’s statistics are not even bad considering his minutes and playing mostly from the bench. Pioli is wasting his talent cause he doesn’t really know where to utilise him and so he’s treating him like a wild card.
Same goes for Musah, he’s a player who most resembles Kessie comparing field data but he’s being deployed everywhere from RB to RW instead of cementing him in a battling midfield role.
Chuk is a bust. Sorry to say.
Where would you use Okafor? Pulisic has owned the right hand side, bar a fairly short stint of games recently where he sucked. Leao for better or worse owns the left, and Okafor is no where close to having Leao’s impact and doesn’t belong in the same sentence. And up front Giroud has done well and Jovic is almost averaging a goal per 90 mins. With Pulisic and Loftus fit most of the time, Okafor will be bench material.
Doesn’t matter if he’s a bench material after Leao, Giroud, Puli but give him clear instructions where and how to play. Instead he’s called “a swiss army knife” player meaning he’s just thrown anywhere and expected to perform. Same goes for Musah. How can they get consistent in their performance when they’re thrown around the field like a bunch of patches.
He’s a striker. A mobile and different option to Giroud, a Gabriel Jesus if you like….all his goals this season show his box awareness.
CDK was bust until he went elsewhere for his second season in Serie A. Perhaps we should judge Chukwueze after a second full season with us?
We live on a world where everyone wants results now…I mean the classic go to example is Alex Ferguson…..he was crap for 3 seasons
I wrote many times before – Chuk didn’t show any glimpses to make me say “this boy has it in him but needs more time”. Leao was that kind of a talent, it was clear he has something more in him but needed time. Even Okafor showed a lot considering his minutes and injuries. Chuk didn’t. And he’s about to hit 25. One trick pony and horrible at it. A poor man’s Antony and Antony is already bad enough.
Can’t really impress when you don’t play.. a bit here and there is not playing. Play leao here and there and see his stats
Okafor in the very limited minutes he’s got has shown he can be a great player. When he barely gets minutes playing with players he’s never played with before or comes in when he can’t do much isn’t his fault. Chukwueze on the other hand while somewhat similar hasn’t shown much. He really looks slow and weak and besides dribbling can’t do much else. Plus he was the most expensive signing so that’s a fail.
This is a horsesh!t article.
Okafor has been great at times. You can’t expect him to come on with no game time and make a difference, with two other players around him who are equally lacking minutes.
Chukwueze has been hot and cold. It’s his first season, look how everyone was desperate to berate CDK having a ‘right old laugh’ about him and now he’s playing well at Atalanta. These players need time. Let’s also not forget that These three players knocked out Newcastle and got us Europa league football…how memories are short!
Jovic is a 6 yard box striker, he’s done well and made an impact. The same people saying 2 weeks ago he had earnt his new contract are now saying he shouldn’t. I mean…let’s be consistent. He made a dumb error against Monza but let’s ask why?
For me Okafor is a striker, he has shown excellent penalty box awareness and reactions. His goals hbe shown that. You cannot judge this player. For me the rotation against Monza should have been Okafor at CF Pulisic in the left and Chukwueze on the right. You at least then have a clutch player up there.
It’s laughable how we are even mentioning this. The entire sh!t show against Monza was orchestrated by Pioli.
But we just got them smh 🤦♂️
Talking about moving them on already 🤦♂️
this trio isn’t better than CDK Colombo & Chaka/ D.Malda
How about we give them a season to settle and improve. They barely get any minutes as it is, and Piolis bran devoid tactical choices don’t help
I dunno I will just blame it all on Pioli and sack him instead of any further mistakes
Without Jovic the bald would have been gone a long time ago lol. Yes, a red is a red but his goals kept Milan in top 3 and saved the coach. Yes, Jovic has met expectations.
Sell Sh*twueze
All thanks to MONEYABALL MONCADA!
~15mil for Okafor – not a winger, not a good enough forward at CL level. Better in a 2 forward formation.
~30mil for Chukwueze – poor all year. Can’t cross. Can’t shoot. Can’t beat his man down the line. Who scouted this guy? Is someone going to step up and say, ‘yeah, that’s on me. I messed up’. Moncada?
~20mil for Musah – not remotely talented enough at all. We should be having midfielders Bennacer, Tonali, Kessie level – but moneyball Moncada moneyballed Musah and MIlan loses out. Honestly, he’d a hard worker but he’s just not talented enough and it shows.
~20mil for Reijnders – can’t shoot, can’t dribble past people, can’t pass, can’t play defense. Started at AM. Was terrible. Moved back to DM. Still can’t pass or stop anyone. Can anyone give me a highlight reel from his time at Milan? No? I can’t find one either because they aren’t any good plays involving him.
That is 85 MILLION DOLLARS that Moncada royally FAILED at scouting & signing. That’s just the start too.
Funny that the ‘bad player’ CDK is thriving out of Milan and his price tag has gone up again. Moneyball man & Mr corporate finance expert lost us money there too.
Just wait until next year when moneyball man spends a ton of money on the wrong forward and we lose even more money.
Please bring someone in who can babysit Moncada. Maldini acted as a filter to sieve through Moncada’s garbage scouting, find someone who can do that again.
-Okafor, clearly Pioli doesn’t learn from CDK case, Pioli can’t use SS, CDK & Oka is SS.
-Chuk, is great player …in FM (algorithm), just like Castillejo.
-Musah, he’s US just like Gery, enough reason to buy.
-Reijnder, again.. algorithm think he is combination of Tonali & Kessie.
we are messed-up in last transfer, but we must pretending to be grateful because Milan (aka Gery) must be bigger than Maldini
Common guys, Jovic was heavily provoked by Izzo (as many other ACM players too). Yes, he made a mistake but his reaction was very normal and he didn’t just snap and hit Izzo for no reason, he simply reacted after Izzo was the first one who pushed Jovic for no reason. That referee should go to jail for giving Jovic red card because Jovic never hit him on the face and it is clearly visible that Jovic hits Izzo over his hands but Izzo simulates that he was hit on the face. Just slow down the video to 0.25x speed and you will see everything clearly.