Maldini brands Nastasic a ‘good’ player as he confirms: “If we can improve the team, we will”

By Oliver Fisher -

AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini has suggested that evaluations are ongoing regarding the current defensive situation.

Although Milan’s season has begun with two clean sheets in two games, the Rossoneri are expected to sign a new centre-back before the window shuts as the injuries to Alessio Romagnoli and Mateo Musacchio have exposed the lack of depth.

A number of targets continue to be linked, including Nikola Milenkovic of Fiorentina, Kristoffer Ajer of Celtic, Wesley Fofana of Saint-Etienne and most recently Matija Nastastic of Schalke.

Maldini spoke to the microphones of TMW at the Azeglio Vicini Award ceremony, and discussed the current situation at the back.

He was asked about Nastastic, responding: “Right now we have some problems due to injuries, with Musacchio operated on and out for two weeks, Romagnoli out for a month, and Duarte who has been out for a while.

“We will see what to do, this is a team already very balanced in the number of players and also in the positions, having two players per position. If we can improve the team, we will. Nastasic? In theory we like all good players. Then we have to see if they are compatible with what our budget is.”

Milan went into the summer with the right-back spot being seemingly the position that needed addressing most urgently, but after Serie A opener against Bologna it could be that it’s no longer a cause for concern.

On Calabria, Maldini said: “I have a high opinion of him, I’ve known him since he was playing with my son Christian, I know very well where he can go.”

Maldini was also asked about the idea of a Scudetto fight: “Juventus are naturally favourites, but Inter seem to have shortened the gap. I must say that Napoli also have a very strong and very technical structure.”

On Ibrahimovic’s secret: “Simple, he’s strong and he wants.”

On the first game of the season: “We are fine, we have confirmed what we have done up to a month and a half ago. We have some injuries but this has not affected our post lockdown spirit. I must say that this team always has a greater conviction that it can reach the desired results.”

“A pleasant surprise to have a thousand people inside the stadium. Certainly a thousand on a capacity of 78 thousand is not much for us, but it is already something. It seems that from October 7 onwards we can have a greater percentage of attendance. We’ll see what will happen.

About the award: “This award means a lot to me. Vicini was one of the coaches who believed in me right from the start, he called me up to the Under 21 team when I was 17, in a very strong team.

“I didn’t play but I was part of that team and then made the European Championships in Germany in 1988 and then the experience of ’90, an exciting ride.”

Tags AC Milan

5 Comments

  1. Ot is my first time seeing Poalo Maldini Prising Flop player Absolutely Nastasic is not on par with acmilan project .And the ac milan fans got demoralised when we red this report leading Nastasic to Acmilan .We want to Ajer to join our club acmilan

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