Some might say that Paulo Fonseca laid down the gauntlet when he said that AC Milan are aiming for the Scudetto this season, but a report has highlighted that there are legitimate reasons to believe.
Just over one week from the start of the season, La Gazzetta dello Sport ask various questions. Who will win the title? Do Inter still have a large advantage over its competitors? Who are their most accredited rivals?
Milan are arguably the ones who have responded, or more specifically Fonseca. The results and performances in preseason have been positive, and while competitive games are a very different thing there are reasons to suggest that the second star is a concrete aim.
We must wait for the mercato to be concluded but Milan have already made the two indispensable, necessary moves. They replaced Olivier Giroud with Alvaro Morata, who crowned champion of Europe last month and brings a lot of experience.
Morata is not a goalscorer in the full and classic sense of the word, but as shown with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams he can bring others into the game, something that Fonseca would like to replicate with Pulisic and Leao. Of course, another piece is needed in attack and a deputy is being sought.
Milan conceded more goals than almost every other top half side last season including the likes of Inter, Juventus Atalanta, Bologna, Roma, Lazio, Napoli, Fiorentina, Torino and Genoa. To give you an idea, the Rossoneri conceded just five goals less than Empoli, fourth from last.
To overcome this very obvious problem, they signed Pavlovic who can be considered a ‘perfect reinforcement’. He is very strong from a physical point of view and ‘unbeatable in the air’, as well as being left-footed.
With him and with Maignan, Calabria, Tomori and Theo Hernandez, it is now difficult not to consider the Rossoneri defence among the best in the league, if there are no more injury crises of course. Now, of course, they need to welcome Emerson Royal and another midfielder.