Some eyebrows were raised when AC Milan decided that David Odogu was the right deadline day centre-back signing, but there are reasons for the decision.
La Gazzetta dello Sport begin with an eye-opening fact: Milan’s new defender was born in Berlin a month before Fabio Cannavaro lifted Italy’s last World Cup. The 19-year-old is the new central defender that Massimiliano Allegri will have at his disposal for the remainder of the season.
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The first two league games have already exposed obvious weaknesses in the Rossoneri’s defence, especially in marking and building out from the back. Odogu despite being young cost €10m, which shows that the directors have faith.
Why Odogu?
First, his age. Odogu is 19 years old and has only played three professional games for Wolfsburg, the club where he grew up. Standing over 1.90m tall, he’s a natural right-footer and has specialised in a three-man defence, the system the Rossoneri are currently using.
Last year, in the three times he was called upon in the Bundesliga (twice as a starter), he always played in the centre of the trio. Marking – something that is held in very high regard by Allegri – is one of his strengths.
In the Wolfsburg youth teams and the national team, he also played as a wing-back, both on the right and left, and as a centre-back in a four-man defence, so he certainly isn’t lacking in versatility. He was also captain of the U17 team.
In 2023, he won the European Championship with Germany (as a rotation player) in June and, in December, the U17 World Cup in Indonesia, beating France on penalties. Odogu was a key figure in that triumphant campaign.
Odogu is the son of immigrants. His father, Joseph, was a Nigerian footballer who played in Malaysia before moving permanently to Berlin. When he won the World Cup, some German tabloids called Odogu ‘the future Beckenbauer’, and now he will don the red and black.
The teenager has begun training with the first team but will also be considered by Massimo Oddo for the Futuro. The German will grow alongside a relative veteran like Matteo Gabbia and, without too much pressure, will gradually be integrated.
i hope
He is not a stone at the moment but I wish. He is Young, got the moves and years to come in such a club like milan. Pls Mr, use him (sorry for comparison) like bisseck and get best of this lad!!
So, I don’t get this.
Diego Coppola went to Brighton for €10m and he’s proven defender with 4 years worth of Serie A experience.
And we signed this non-Italian unknown player for same price? We should pay less for this defender or we should bid for Diego Coppola for €10m or more.
And Diego can play in 3 defenders formation as well as 4 defenders formation.
stellar job, Tare.
100%, not only that what we needed was experienced yet we settled for inexperience… might as well been proven player like Coppola
for middle peace, good ball-playing defender these 5 are easily the best options atm:
Balerdi, Lucumi, Alexsandro Ribeiro, Mario Gila, van Hecke were also all great options that we just ignored…
Balerdi although tough to sign due to RdZ, Gila due to Lazio transfer ban and van Hecke would cost Nkunku money at least… if we are completely realistic and take into consideration who our owners are…
but that still leaves you with Lucumi and Alexsadro, yet we weren’t even remotely rumored with any of them
Beacause Ac Milan managers have a policy agianst italian players
We also signed Winter, who also has years of Series A experience and he hasn’t played. I wouldn’t necessarily blame Tare.
Of course you won’t. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Bootlicker.
What you a regue should not be the point…. i mean at the point the price difference is more related to upside, potential….
You point is valid in that we should have signed an experience player but it w a s not about 1 or the other….se should have signed both, one for the future develop, maybe surprise, and one to add inmediate stability. To me they tried for the experience one in Akangi, Gomez, Molina, but between no champions league and just actual pool, they help back…. but either always Odogu is g9od signing.
Ghere are something called scouts and their reports with stats that help people like Tare make decissions.
If this transfer wi dow does not convince you, just go and check transfers and sells he made while at Lazio.
You comparison lacks logical rational
Probably the Growth Decree again. Less money to the player’s salary. Because money is all that matters.
Been alot of future Messis, only one still stands and those who earned those comparisons barely became top elite level scorers or playmakers.
I will reserve those proclamations. Hopefully he is going to come into his own. Welcome to Ac Milan.
“AC Milan are reportedly considering the opportunity to sign free agent Takehiro Tomiyasu, the Japan international formerly of Arsenal and Bologna.”
Coming of an injury a Low risk high reward signing as a free agent. Still only 27.
His salary is about 8-10m
Milan cant afford to pay him that
LOL!!!! Nope. He had a 3.3M€ salary last year. You might be (once again) looking at the gross sums since EPL salaries are ALWAYS gross and not net as in Italy. Milan can easily afford 3-4M€ salary.
” the new beckanbeur is straight bs
His highlight videos look good
F’ off with this future BS.
None of these players have any future at the club. They will be sold the minute the put in either a decent or bad season.
It makes no difference.
If players perform they are sold for ‘profit’ (even though the club loses money every transfer window).
If players don’t perform they are sold, erm, at a loss (thus further undermining any profit from the above).
It’s farcical.
But all of this talk of the ‘future’ and the ‘potential’ of players is just depressing and delusional.
You are unfortunately 100% correct, despite what all these Redturd fanboys and bootlickers say.
Some support a club, some support a private investment firm.
“Some support a club, some support a private investment firm.”
And some don’t support anything or anyone but instead rant here every day without any solid content. Rant about this, rant about that. No support. Nothing positive ever. Rant, rant, rant. Keep it up, eh. 😛
And of all people to direct the support the club statement to……none other than Como’s Heir
😀 😀 😀 😀
Well… He kind of is the perfect example, right? 🙂
Milan has some of the bet finance in the football world, or maybe the healthiest. Foundations are build strong. Unless you have endless money and you somehow decide to have fun
Strong foundations? One season out of CL under this ownership who supposedly made this club one of the healthiest financially, and they needed to sell off everything that was worth something just to plug the hole.
Lmao, at least some folks still believe bedtime PR stories these hedge fund leeches give out.
Milan apparently booking in tomiyasu for some medicals to see if his knee can hold up. Can sign as he is a free agent.
Maldini’s widow is still crying and moaning … When will she get tired?!
Strange how people find me more annoying than the people destroying the club.
The club isn’t being destroyed.
Not intentionally, no. It is being eroded by people who are invested in a different kind of capitalism than we are used to, though.
The next Beckenbauer lol yeah okay relax. Plus, if that’s the case he’ll be gone in 2 years
Kerkez 2.0.
defense is what are Allegri concern most. With last 2 season we conceded to many. While building connection is not easy between them. I aware that Allegri is trying to do those things first and step by step inserting De Winter/ Odogu. I am supporting him. We are on focusing to not conceding much in every game.
What! Better than der Kaiser? 🤣🤣🤣 That guy was a legend. Every weekend I see Pavlovic try his best to be Beckenbauer and it ends terribly. He invented the Libero position and could pick a long ball out second to none and dribble past the opponents midfield with minimal issues. Big shoes to fill young lad, I hope you succeed because that would put another UCL trophy in our cabinet.
“Better than der Kaiser?”
Read again. No one suggested BETTER. “The next Beckenbaur” isn’t “Better than Beckenbauer”.
It’s in great shape.
Think about all of the ‘profit’ they made from the sales.
Good times.
This is an insult to Beckenbauer
Good lord…. Beckenbauer??? Da fuq is wrong with these journalists. Smh