Among Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s list of tasks in view of the summer transfer window is finding the striker of the future, ideally one that will mirror the impact he had at AC Milan starting in 2010 and resuming a decade later.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport reports, it is becoming more apparent that Ibrahimovic will have a big say in the moves that Milan make in view of next season. It’s up to him to follow the team, probe their moods, smooth out their rough edges and plan a better future.
He will have an influence regarding the question marks regarding Stefano Pioli’s future, something that Milan’s fate in the Europa League will heavily influence which makes it too early to tell what will happen.
Pioli can boast a Scudetto, a Champions League semi-final and what is looking like being a fourth consecutive Champions League spot. Of course, there were also dark, difficult moments, but precisely in those moments the team demonstrated that they were united on his side.
The real question is how to strengthen an excellent Milan side must make a further leap in quality to catch Inter and this is the more complicated and more evocative job that awaits Ibrahimovic, with the centre-forward issue standing out above all.
Last summer brought about a revolution of sorts with 10 new signings arriving by virtue of making use of the money obtained from the sale of Sandro Tonali, but that will not be repeated. This time, Milan should give themselves two specific tasks: keep the best players, and sign a striker for the future.
The feeling is that nobody at Milan is more qualified to pick who the next No.9 is than Zlatan, one of the best in that role in the history of the sport. Someone like Ibra cannot be replicated, but the 41-year-old should be able to see beyond the stats and understand if they have the right character.
There are many names and Ibra and his staff certainly have the knowledge to explore the Italian, European and global markets. The report mentions that Santiago Gimenez could be a candidate, the 22-two-year-old Feyenoord striker.
He doesn’t have the physique of Zlatan, but he has an eye for goal (23 this season) couple with a mad desire to grow more every year. Qualities are fundamental, but sometimes it is character – and no one knows this more than Ibra – that makes the difference.
