Paulo Fonseca is set to become the new manager of AC Milan and in the talks with the management, he made his thoughts very clear on the current squad. As a report claims, he believes a striker is all it takes to compete with Inter next season.
Milan finished second in the 2023-24 season, 19 points behind their city rivals Inter, but Fonseca believes that the Rossoneri can catch up quickly. Today’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport has highlighted this fact (see photo below), also outlining what got the manager the job.
Inter are within reach
Fonseca is eager to take on the challenge at Milan and, above all, to work with such great players. He’s convinced of the current squad and its qualities, with only a No.9 needed to make the big leap. Indeed, he wants someone who can restore the momentum for the Rossoneri.
The Portuguese manager is well aware of the difficulties in the league, having coached Roma for two seasons, and he knows that the Milan fans are very disappointed with the outcome of this campaign. Still, he feels Inter can be reached quickly without having to jump through hoops this summer.
In the talks with Milan, Fonseca didn’t make any big demands to the management (of the Leao must stay type) and he didn’t set any limits either: the Rossoneri are good enough to win the league. The only condition being, as mentioned, that a striker will be needed this season.
Joshua Zirkzee remains one of the top targets and his €40m clause is within reach, but the likes of Serhou Guirassy, Jonathan David and Benjamin Sesko are also on the radar. None of these can be ruled out for the time being.
The mercato will be targeted
As Milan have made clear on several occasions, this summer will not be a revolution signings-wise, even if hiring a new manager is revolution-esque. Instead, the Rossoneri will make a few targeted signings to truly elevate the quality of the team.
We are talking about a defensive midfielder, a centre-back to add some security and a right-back who adds energy to the flank. And a striker, of course, but this signing is known to everyone and should indeed be taken for granted.
Fonseca has also highlighted that several players in the current squad can be revitalised, such as Pierre Kalulu, while obvious talents such as Samuel Chukwueze can be elevated. In short, Milan will carry out the necessary work on the mercato while the new manager will work on a squad with poor confidence.
When he will arrive
So, when will Fonseca first set foot at Milanello? The official announcement should arrive in the coming week or so, even if it hasn’t been fully decided yet. However, the manager’s actual arrival will have to wait until July for tax reasons.
This is not a problem, of course, as he will work remotely until then and arrive in good time ahead of the Raduno (the first training session of the season). Then, of course, several friendlies await Milan including the trip to the US to face Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
