With the signing of Samuel Chukwueze from Villarreal, AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli can now rely on both flanks of his attacking department.
Today’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) has a double-page spread titled: ‘Milan to the rhythm of Leao and Chukwueze. Rafa has a twin: the kings of dribbling’.
Milan bought one of the best pure dribblers on the planet for €20m plus bonuses, and as Kvicha Kvaratskhelia showed last season having someone who can beat a man regularly opens up all kinds of possibilities.
Chukwueze attempted 171 dribbles last season in LaLiga and 88 of them were successful, putting him sixth among all players in the top five European leagues.
To put it into context, in Italy nobody has managed to dribble 88 times in one season, not even Kvara or Rafael Leao. With Leao on one side and Chukwueze on the other, they could cause headaches for defenders who don’t know who and when to double.
Leao and Chukwueze as a pair rank above Kvara-Lozano, Barella-Lautaro, Pellegrini-Zalewski, Zaccagni-Felipe Anderson and Chiesa-Rabiot when it comes to combined dribbles.
Milan yesterday announced the signing of Chukwueze until 2028 and among the sentences that stood out the most from his interview was the following: “The way the fans kept sending me messages on Instagram was really decisive.”
The €4m net per season he will earn certainly helps, but it was the charm of joining the Rossoneri that convinced above all: “When my agent told me about Milan, I thought he was joking. I didn’t think twice or thrice.
“The last time I heard from Osimhen, he said to me: ‘Samuel, Milan is a beautiful club, one of the best, don’t hesitate’. He told me that the Rossoneri fans are truly incredible. I replied: ‘I hope you know that I will beat you’.”
Chukwueze brings a new rhythm to Milan and he will make the team even stronger in transition. He will often receive the ball wide on the sideline, as Pioli wants it, and will bring different characteristics from those of Pulisic with whom he will alternate.
On paper these two being fed balls by Reijnders and co will be able to wreak havoc also by dribbling past their men and feeding Giroud. Now we just hope 🙏
Even Tijjani will dribble decisively from midfield, making opponents confused.🔥 Serie A, here we come!❤️🖤
All we need now is some defensive signings like a 6, a RB to challenge Calabria, a CB option and a lb back up and I think we have reinforced very well
For that 6, I’d really want us to sign Dominguez… He is a typical one ❤️🖤
Agreed he’s my personal favourite but I won’t be completely against Musah either
We have Calabria, Kalulu, Florenzi and Alexis for RB.
We also signed a very talented young RB from Real Madrid, so we have enough there.
At LB honestly I think we should promote Bozzolan, he is ready, and whoever is understudy to Theo wont play much. Also Florenzi and Calabria can cover that role, even Tomori.
CB we may need someone, unless pioli trusts Simic to step up.
As you say a DM is the main priority now!
I hope we keep Adli, he is doing well as always and should at least be kept as back up.
We don’t want to overload with new players, that’s always problematic
If pioli is wise enough,he should always bring giroud and krunic as substitute,but i know that this is the final season for pioli,because he will fuck up and he will end up in sacking,the management are giving him all the neccessary signings so that there wont be any excuse,to me pioli is an average coach which was blessed with talented young players and ibrahimovic presence also help the situation for him.
Yep. Pioli has been given enough rope to hang himself.
If there is anything yet lacking in Milan is the fact that the combo of ball playing Attacking midfielder like Seedorf, a disrupt or like garrudo and a deep lying creator like pirlo…. I hope they search for players with such profile not all these unmatched profile we are witnessing
Speak for yourself not we.
Gattuso I meant to say.
Krunic someone may argue is a disruptor yet lacks grinta peculiar to a good disruptor which makes Dominguez of bologna an archetype! Tijjani may be a seedorf in disguise while the pirlo element is apparently missing! Loftus cheek does not even near!
You’re right about pioli being an average coach. We had tonali on our team all this while, and whenever we got a free kick, giroud stepped up. Massive under utilisation of talent. I’m sure CDK will flourish under another coach
Giroud started taking the freekicks only in the last quarter of the season as he got frustrated (like everyone else!) to the terrible “quality” of their freekicks. Tonali had his chances and wasted them.
I like the combo on paper.. Now, we need to prey on team…
This means we will be playing a 4-2-3-1. Chukwueze was bought to start at RW and Pulisic was bought to start. So likely Pulisic will be out ACM and 2 out of Reinjders RLC Musah and Krunic will be in the double pivot. Can’t see Pulisic or Chukwueze sitting the bench. Even in the exhibition games this far – RLC plays ACM majority of the time. We need a RB – Singo pls. Singo/Chukwueze on right would open up Theo/leao on left. Devastating speed on bot sides of pitch. Really need another #9 if we don’t sell Origi because if Giroud gets injured we are in trouble as Okafor can perhaps play there in spot duty but not as a full time starter and Columbo is def not ready at all.
Leao/Giroud/Chukwueze
Pulisic or RLC
Reminders/Musah
Theo Tomori Thiaw Singo
Mike
We’re top heavy. We still have a badly unbalanced squad