Plans for how Paulo Fonseca’s AC Milan team may look have likely been in the works for a few weeks now, if not longer, and a report from this morning has suggested which four players could be pivotal to any successes.
Whilst the process to appoint Fonseca may have been slightly elongated, it has not caused any issues given he could not properly join Milan until now. However, it has given some extra time for analysis to be done by the club and Fonseca himself about how he wants his Rossoneri team to look.
Before the mercato has opened, rumours have flown about the positions of several players, and this morning’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) may have settled some nerves for some fans whilst providing some insight into which players will be at the heart of the Diavolo project.
As Zlatan Ibrahimovic stated in his press conference, the club believes that Fonseca will deliver a ‘dominant’ Milan team, with little turnover period, due to the similarities between Stefano Pioli and the Portuguese coach. Additionally, the personnel is ideal for him to build from.
Gazzetta states that Mike Maignan is near the top of the list in the former Lille coach’s eyes, he is a ‘playmaker’ from between the sticks and an ‘invaluable’ player for the project. Given his chances of staying have increased in recent weeks, this is fantastic news.
The chances of Theo Hernandez staying are still up for doubt, but Fonseca sees him as another of the stars to build around. Often deemed to be at the heart of Milan, he seems an ideal profile to be utilised by the new manager, and being one of the best in the world in your position furthers that.
Another player to build around is Tijjani Reijnders, a complete player in the midfield with a ‘natural elegance’ and versatility which is rare to find – he is certainly near the top of Fonseca’s list.
Finally is Joshua Zirkzee, the man who could arrive for €50 million and a player who is potentially the perfect fit for the new coach and Milan. Zirkzee can be the spark of the Rossoneri’s attack, and if the issues with his agent are fixed, then it is clear the Dutchman will be a pivotal player for the club moving forward.
