AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli held a one-to-one conversation with Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze at Milanello today to discuss what he wants from the player for the rest of the season.
As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the session at Milanello began with Pioli and Chukwueze having a long talk.
This is perhaps not a surprise considering Chukwueze has almost become a forgotten name at Milan in recent months. He had been struggling for minutes anyway in the lead-up to the Africa Cup of Nations, and then with his Nigeria team getting all the way to the final, he has been gone for a long time.
He started the Serie A defeat against Monza but was not able to impress, with Christian Pulisic doing a much better job when he entered the fray in his place.
Despite this poor display, he could be in line to face Stade Rennes in the Europa League on Thursday night given the first leg was won 3-0 by the Rossoneri, and the only way Chukwueze is going to click back into a rhythm at Milan is to start getting regular minutes.
Pierre Kalulu and Fikayo Tomori were back in training on Wednesday which is a major boost for the team.
CDK needed a year and started firing… under a different coach and lights less bright than San Siro…
and now Pioli want Zirkzee, a 60m second-striker just like CDK
Zee is nothing like CDK, is familiar with the league and is scoring – nothing like what CDk was last season.
What a strange comparison.
I think the reality is both Chuck and Okafor need time to develop. Chuck needs to get stronger, even on the wing speed alone won’t save you in Italy. Okafor needs to pick his head up more. He has a tendency to dribble into trouble and too often tries to take on multiple defenders instead of playing the quick passing combinations necessary to break down organized defenses. I like him in open space on the counters but that type of play is better suited to coming off the bench to take advantage of tired legs on the defense.
Well I don’t see much hope for Chuks. For Okafor there is light and potentials he would improve with time.
Chukwueze isn’t young, so the examples of CDK, Tonali and Leao aren’t valid. I don’t trust players from La Liga, it’s a poor championship. Given Pulisic and RLC have exceeded expectations and stayed fit, overall the mercato was a success.