AC Milan are looking for a new ‘engine’ in their midfield, and they will not stop after the arrivals of Luka Modric and Samuele Ricci.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes that Modric should combine quality with work rate, but he amassed 2923 minutes in the last season and it’s not over yet, given he is busy at the Club World Cup with Real Madrid.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic began his second Rossoneri story as a player at the same age and he also came from the United States. Modric is playing for yet another trophy in an incredible career, Zlatan had been in Los Angeles and in the MLS for months.
It is a competition that certainly required a different mental and physical effort compared to Modric’s efforts between La Liga, Champions League and now Club World Cup. Once all his commitments are over, Modric will undergo medical tests and will arrive in Milan after a few days of rest.
Ricci joins Modric
Luka will be one of the references of the new Rossoneri midfield. With Reijnders gone, the club have changed strategy. No more raiders who, upon receiving the ball, rush towards the opponent’s area.
Instead, the target will be players who know how to manage possession, increase the quality of dribbling, midfielders who are functional to controlling the game. The same reason that inspired the negotiation for Ricci of Torino, now close to Milan for €23m plus €2m in bonuses.
He is another possible beacon of the midfield, sixteen years younger than the Croatian: an Italian, speaking of nationality, in a team that Milan would like to be more Azzurro. He came through at Empoli, with whom Ricci made his senior debut (90 appearances and three goals).
Then Ricci moved to Torino, amassing another 113 appearances with four goals. He can be used as a regista or even as a mezzala, because the Rossoneri’s desire is to strengthen the entire line.
Jashari next?
The club have no issue investing in young players: the idea of a talent that can thrive under Allegri also fuels discussions with Club Brugge for Ardon Jashari, a 22-year-old Swiss, one of Max’s favourites. He was the Belgian league MVP at the first attempt, having arrived last summer from FC Luzern.
Eleven of his 52 seasonal appearances marked his debut season in the Champions League. A curiosity: four of his 11 total were against Italian teams and Jashari emerged victorious in the double playoff clash against Atalanta.
He made a good impression against Juventus and left San Siro defeated 3-1 in Milan-Brugge, but victorious on a personal level after a performance of quality and substance. Milan would now like to bring him into their midfield, offering Bruges a total of €30m. Take it or leave it, there will be no raise.
The inclusion of Borussia Dortmund is not scary at the moment. Also because Ardon wants Milan and has a sustainable salary: Milan are confident that his will could make the difference, bringing diplomacy between the clubs and weaken the Belgian resistance.
Other targets and exits
Jashari has characteristics that Allegri recognises as unique and useful for the new course: much more than Xhaka, who has the nature of a regista, a section that the club has already filled with the purchase of Modric and the negotiations for Ricci.
Max also considers Jashari more talented than Javi Guerra, the Spanish U21 international for Valencia. However, before inserting a young player on the launching pad, who needs to have his own room to grow, Milan will have to clear space.
Reijnders leaves a big void, but there is still traffic. In the lane reserved for exits remains Yunus Musah: he could have gone to Napoli before the negotiations were stopped. Now he could choose an English destination: Wolves and Nottingham Forest are interested and can offer €25m.
Allegri might be interested in working on Warren Bondo, helping him to enhance his potential. Ruben Loftus-Cheek remains, considered strategic in the new scheme. Max, like Tare, confirmed his appreciation for the former Chelsea player.
The limit is in the physique: his muscles have often proven too fragile in the face of the intensity of commitments last season, 28 games without a goal along months conditioned by injuries. The calendar of the next season, without Europe, will be less full.
The belief is that RLC can be revitalised. The example of the first Rossoneri season is enough: 40 appearances and 10 goals in 2023-24. Loftus-Cheek could also be considered a new purchase: for an almost completely renewed midfield.
The RLC 10-goal narrative is nonsense. At that point, he was playing as more of a second-striker, not a midfielder, and a lot of the goals were against lower Europa League opposition. We need him to play well as a midfielder which he only did up until the 5-1 derby loss. Since then, the only great performance he put in was against PSG. The bottom line is, he is not a player we can hang our hopes on. I think he can be useful in the rotation if he can stay fit, but that’s a big “if”.
Thank you, finally some common sense. Agree with every word. Outside of a handful of performances (the main one being at home vs PSG like you said) RLC was an average player who, because of his physical attributes, could do really well coming off the bench late in games where we need someone to hold the ball or progress in forward in transition. He is not fit to start for Milan in anything other than friendly games and less important cup games or something.
RLC should definitely be sold. What we will see once preseason starts is how Allegri plans to play, is being said he wants Modric as a Deep Lying Playmaker, if that’s the case, i guess the other 2 midfielders (if team plays with 3 at the middle) will be to cover for the DLP and so makes sense to add Jashari to Fofana and Ricci as defensive midfielders, and no sense at all to keep RLC who, like you mentioned, did best when playing in a more attacking position, not as a midfielder. I just wonder if Jashari is worth the 38 M being discussed in news, and not put a little more and go for Rovella, who wouldn’t be a surprise if ends up at Inter now that they want to get rid of Calhanoglu
So we are going from a midfield soley made up of runners, box to box players to a midfield soley made up of holding players.
How about having both and a balanced midfield?
Modric at 40 is only a rotation option/backup
RLC not good enough and often injured
Bondo was a panic buy
I’d rather we did’nt have so much quantity and more quality, as in keeping Tiji
Reijnders was hardly an attacking midfielder, either. We only starting seeing goals from him this season and most of that was box-crashing as opposed to traditional sort of number 10 play.
Yes Tiji is a box to box midfielder, an outstanding one. Thats why he would be ideal in a 3 man midfield rather than the double pivot.
He scored all sorts of goals and if by box crashing, you mean good late runs into the box then yes he is great at that
Don’t worry Allegri doesn’t plan on attacking. He’ll just defend ’till the other team gets frustrated then a quick counter and boom. 1-0 game done.
LOL!!!
Yep, sounds about right
Javi Gurrera should be our focal point moving forward,we need experience,flair,technique,speed and youthful exuberance in our midfield
Jashari Gurrera Ricci
Fofana Loftus Cheek Bondo
Modric
I think this gathering will grant us present and future opportunities to win much trophies
I don’t think it’s gonna be Jashari and Guerra… it’s either or…
midfield with Jashari – Ricci – Fofana is already most balanced midfield we have had since Bennacer – Kessie – Tonali… what we need are actual fullbacks
Dodo current contract situation and Pioli returning to Fiorentina should be taken advantage of. Also he has been in the league for ages so no need for waiting until he gets used to the league
LB will be the biggest problem for us… no proper LB is being sold under 40M (deCuyper is our best option atm)
Ac Milan as been wining the trooths when we have a Brazilian prayer in the squard so please The management should look for at least 2 two Brazilian prayer in the our Ac Milan squared