We have now entered the final month of the summer transfer window and one could argue that AC Milan are running behind, both on the incoming and the outgoing front. For the latter, it has been surprisingly quiet in the last few weeks.
Milan’s strategy for this summer transfer window has been clear from the start, wanting to improve the squad with targeted signings. However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic also made it clear in July that the Rossoneri need to trim down the squad and there are some obvious candidates in that sense.
However, as mentioned, it has been very quiet on this front and the question is if Milan are running behind schedule. Of course, many transfers (especially departures) tend to happen late on, but the lack of concrete movement so far is worrying.
Unwanted midfielders
Starting in the middle on the pitch, Milan currently find themselves in a bit of a tricky position. Talks with Monaco over Youssouf Fofana are still ongoing and there is no agreement in sight, looking like this could perhaps be closed very late.
As a result, it has perhaps put the departures of Yacine Adli and Tommaso Pobega on hold a bit, even if everyone knows that they aren’t part of Paulo Fonseca’s plans. Saudi Arabian have expressed interest in the former, who continues to refuse that option, while some English clubs have also enquired about a potential loan move.
Milan are not keen on letting the Frenchman go on loan, so they are still waiting for the player to re-evaluate his future. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a move to Saudi Arabia, but Adli expressing some form of willingness to depart can go a long way.
As for Pobega, Milan attempted to insert him in the negotiations with Udinese over Lazar Samardzic, but the Fruili side rejected this idea. Bologna are also keeping an eye on the 25-year-old and the feeling is that it will be easier to find a new club for him.
The banished duo
Shifting focus from the potential departures, Fode Ballo-Toure and Divock Origi can certainly be considered as certain ones. Don’t get us wrong, finding a new club for each of these two is far from an easy task and Milan experienced that already last season.
A recent report stated that the full-back is on the radar of Ipswich, who will compete in the Premier League this season, as well as some Championship sides. A return to England thus appears likely but just like last summer, it could come down to the final day of the transfer window.
Origi, meanwhile, is also hoping for another season in England but unlike Ballo-Toure, there have been no offers for the Belgian striker. Only in Turkey has there been concrete interest but the player continues to refuse this option, which is causing a headache for Milan.
Most likely, Milan will terminate Origi’s contract by mutual consent, which also should help the player reach an agreement elsewhere. It makes sense as he arrived on a free transfer – with no transfer fee to recoup – and the Rossoner would also save over €5m in gross wages.
Origi, Balo and Pobega – the 3 stooges absolutely nobody wants…. At least Adli can 1. play football and 2. loves the team. I would give him another year to step up but doesn’t look like he’s going to get it.
No way are we saving Origi’s full wage, we’ll be paying up a high percentage of that to see any savings.
All players who deserve a good first team run somewhere at their level, it’s not any of their fault that Milan are paying them a higher salary than they can find elsewhere and each of those four has been a true professional here, never a bad word from any of them.
Origi in particular, overpaid yes, but he’s never even had a single pre-season with the first team. If we’re so desperate for a third CF, seems daft that we haven’t even included him in training.
I don’t see any reason in trying to push out Adli and pobega. The new coach should give them a chance to prove themselves, if he’s not satisfied then January transfer windows opens up and he can loan them our or transfer them, moreover in January we can sign a pre contract with fofana and he will be a Milan player with no transfer cost
Reason is we have a massively bloated squad at present and we need to have some incoming funds if we want to spend money. I get what you’re saying and I don’t really want either of those two to leave, but at the moment we have Bennacer, Reijnders, RLC, Adli, Pobega, Musah in the squad, likely Fofana incoming and Zeroli waiting in the wings – it’s too many for what we need.
Arguably we should ask the coach to do more with the midfielders and the right-backs we have already before we commit to more spending, but it seems the hierarchy have decided that’s where changes should be made.
If we keep them then we can say goodbye to Fofana and maybe Samardzic
tololll, orang butuh DM dr kessie cabut masih aja ngandelin pobega sm adli, mau kebobolan 50 gol lagi
No chance. They just don’t fit with the new coach’s tactic. Adli is too slow in build up and far physically not adept to the tactic. Pobega is just too slow and has even slower football mjnd. Adli probably has chance, but i don’t think Milan should slow down his career with putting him on the bench every games
Maybe new couch not good and always ask something not have.Same was at Roma and Lille
I wonder if we’ll ever have a summer without troubles like Ballo Toure and Origi. No amount of effort and prayers make other clubs wanna buy them.
It’s not like they’re the first ever players who have ended up like this.
The transfer market is one massive casino so of course there are bets that don’t work out.
Milan have had hundreds players who ended up like this as evidenced by the huge number of players we have had on our books and out on loan over the past 15 years.
At the start of this summer I counted over 60 players who were on our books. It’s a farce.
Or maybe it’s the nature of running a top level football club. There’s obviously a numbers game to the whole thing, so the question is what’s the “correct” number of players to have on the books? I’m not sure there is one. You do what you do. If you end up winning titles, then it was the “correct” planning. If not, then people complain. But these people need to cover their asses and make sure they have options. It seems like a necessary “evil” so to speak, although I just consider it the way things are done at the top level.
Well we have one Scudetto to show for it in over 10 years so is that your measure?
We shouldn’t accept this continued failure. This continued scatter gun approach to transfers and player development (the other part of this is the failure of most of the youth talent to transition to the first team).
We should look to where things are done better.
Like Spain where first team squads are smaller and transfers are more targeted.
People talk about the B teams in Spain but they were around a lot longer and when Serie A dominated the Spanish teams and Italy won World Cups.
The key difference between Serie A and La Liga in the past 10 years has been the number of transfers and squad sizes. Serie A clubs engage in far more transfers and have far bigger squad sizes, and a ton of players off on loans.
Agreed
So you’re saying all the teams in Serie A do the same thing with bloated squads and too many transfers.. but then (correctly) bring up the one Scudetto in the last decade. So this doesn’t mean Milan necessarily buy too many players, etc, but that other clubs do it better.
In my opinion, the problem isn’t the transfers themselves, but the lack of a top level coach / manager / culture to turn at least some of these players into elite pros.
I would hate to see Adli leave, he has a great heart for the team, is young, has leadership skills, is seemingly adaptable, genuinely talented and sits patiently on the bench. Dumb idea. Pobega, Origi, and BT were all signed out of convenience and were never going to be starters. Pobega is too cumbersome and better suited to a team that sits deep. BT was a random signing, but Origi scored decisive goals, incl in the CL final, so having someone of this experience on the bench for free seemed appealing at the time.
They all are players ac Milan,so i not understand how some can make article like this. Fofana Abraham and Samardzic not our players.Good couch take from his team best not put them outside. So Fonseca need prof himself but i think he not good for us at all
Don’t give up on Adli and Pobega yet. We might end up needing their services down the road. Make them play the way Fonseca wants. And if they fail 2-3 times, loan them out in the winter.