When AC Milan’s summer transfer window closed, few could accuse the club of lacking ambition. Spending €162m, despite sitting out of European competitions, was a statement of intent.
The Rossoneri sought to retool the squad – particularly in midfield – and did so emphatically, upgrading several positions with intelligent, high-quality players. Amid the flurry of arrivals, one crucial area was left alarmingly thin: the centre-forward position.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
The midfield revamp was, by most measures, a success. Massimiliano Allegri now has a dynamic, technically assured core capable of controlling games and transitioning swiftly from defence to attack. But while the engine room was strengthened, the attack was left unaddressed.
A big missing piece
The late arrival of Christopher Nkunku for a near club-record €37m felt less like a masterstroke and more like a reactionary purchase. There’s no questioning Nkunku’s quality: his creativity, spatial intelligence, and knack for finding pockets between lines make him an elite attacker.
Yet, the timing and fit raise questions. Milan needed a striker who could compete with Santiago Gimenez; instead, they brought in a versatile forward whose best work comes playing off the frontman, not being the frontman.
Milan’s rivals – while navigating problems of their own – appear to have sufficient depth up top. Napoli boast of Lorenzo Lucca, Romelu Lukaku, and Rasmus Højlund. Inter have Lautaro Martínez, Marcus Thuram, Ange-Yoan Bonny, and Pio Esposito.
Juventus can rotate between Dusan Vlahović, Jonathan David, Loïs Openda, and Arkadiusz Milik. Roma rely on Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson. The Rossoneri, by contrast, have just one recognised striker, a reduction from three (or four, if you consider Francesco Camarda) last season.
How does it all fit?
The decision to loan out Camarda to Lecce for regular minutes was an understandable one, though it also left the senior squad perilously short of depth. Nkunku’s arrival, while useful in theory, has complicated Milan’s attacking puzzle. His versatility – usually a strength – is proving a tactical headache.
With Allegri persisting with his 3-5-2, it’s nearly impossible to accommodate Nkunku, Rafael Leão, and Christian Pulisic together without compromising balance.
Leão thrives on the left, where he can isolate defenders and drive at goal. Nkunku prefers to operate in similar zones, drifting between the lines. Pulisic, meanwhile, has been Milan’s most consistent threat so far and currently leads the Serie A scoring charts for the club with four goals.
Milan’s experiment with Leão as a makeshift striker epitomises the issue. Playing as a solitary forward against Fiorentina, he struggled in the first half, shackled by Marin Pongračić, unable to hold the ball or ward off his marker. Upon Gimenez’s introduction in the second half, Leão was allowed to drift deeper and come alive, creating spac and ultimately scoring.
Meanwhile, Gimenez acted as the focal point that Milan desperately needed, winning the penalty and providing structure to the attack. The proof is in the pudding: the team looks far more coherent when it has a traditional striker as the reference point.
Not far from crisis
As things stand, Milan are one injury or a poor run away from a crisis. Gimenez has started six of seven league games without scoring while Leao opened his account on Sunday, scoring at home in the league in nearly 18 months.
Nkunku’s physical condition prevents him from playing consistently, and Pulisic is ruled out for a few weeks after sustaining an injury on international duty. Relying on a single striker in a system built around a reference point is a recipe for inconsistency and potential disaster.
Even though Milan’s defence has held up well, goals win games. Pulisic, an attacking midfielder, leads the team’s scoring chart with four, but that’s not a sustainable model for a side harbouring top-four or title ambitions. Without a consistent outlet up front, Milan risk turning dominance into frustration controlling matches but failing to convert chances.
There’s also a broader question at play: what does Nkunku’s signing truly signify? It’s possible to view him as a long-term replacement for Leão, particularly if the Portuguese star departs next summer.
If that’s the case, this could be seen as a transition season, i.e. an attempt to evolve the attack gradually. But even so, the lack of a pure striker cannot be excused as a transitional oversight.
Improvisation vs. desperation
For all Allegri’s tactical adaptability, Milan’s attack currently feels improvised. The club’s ambitions – to return to the Champions League and compete domestically – demand clarity and firepower, neither of which can be provided by patchwork solutions.
Milan’s rebuild remains on the right track, but the puzzle is incomplete. The structure, depth, and technical quality are all there. What’s missing is the most fundamental element of all: a consistent goalscorer.
A club of Milan’s stature cannot afford to hinge its season on one player’s form. Whether it’s to spur Gimenez, unlock Nkunku and Leão’s potential, or simply ensure a reliable end product, signing a striker in January is not a luxury but rather a necessity.
Fail to do so, and Milan gamble on watching another promising campaign fade into frustration, undone not by creativity or effort, but by the absence of another true number nine.
They should try and get Duvan Zapata in January for the rest of this season and then make a run at Lewandowski in the summer.
I l wouldn’t mind this, low risk, I know he’s past his prime but there was a time when Zapata was top 5 strikers in the league
Last week it was all about Leao not being able to live up to expectations and would never reach his potential.
Now we are missing a piece. Its too early to make that assumption
Having Nkunku is good , after all we’ve seen that Pulisic and Leao do get injured but we do also need another actual no. 9 , especially for next year when we’ll hopefully be playing UCL football.
To me Lucca doesn’t look good. Admittedly I haven’t seen much of him this year and he’s adjusting to a new style. But from what I have seen he’s a player with no movement, easily marked, heavy touch and poor spatial awareness. I was never in favor Milan going for Lucca and so far it seems to be a good call. Better to have a good player that’s not a perfect fit than a bad player signed just because he plays the right position. I still think Dusan Vlahović would take this squad to the next level
He may get better, but I haven’t heard or read anything about his play so far this season that doesn’t indicate that Napoli views him as a disappointment.
Vlahovic is history, we would be doing Juve a great favor to take him on. You can clearly see from his performance with Juve and national team that he is degressing
Pulisic is actually more effective when drifting along the forward line as opposed to coming off the wing. Maybe a change in formation could be our answer.
At the same time, playing two upfront limits us but provides defensive security and midfield balance. In a team built to defend and counter two upfront front makes sense. But for any other type of strategy or build up it is limiting considering our options up front …
Completely agree on Pulisic. He is a tough mark when one trip up the pitch he is up the left side, the next down the right side and then through the center. I have full confidence Max will make it work.
They tried to buy Vlahovic, but the Serbian didn’t want to give up on his millions in wages.
It is what it is. The issue is known, and it will be resolved by Tare in December/January.
No use crying over an unchangeable situation.
We’re 10 weeks away from the Winter Mercato.
Vlahovic looked really disinterested in the game today vs Real Madrid. He’s not helping his cause in terms of appearing worth his salary.
I watched the Juve Real game too but I won’t put that on Vlahovic. Juve’s gameplan was very poor. I get that Real is good but Juve made themselves look far inferior than they truly were from an approach pov
Having 4 forwards for a 2 forward formation is adequate I would think.
Except that it’s not a 2:2 ratio.
More 3:1 ratio of players for the 2 positions.
I.e. Gimenez is the only 9 and has the lead striker position with no competition.
Then we have 3 others competing for 1 position as the 10/ second striker that roams.
That’s the point of the article I think. And I agree. There is a balance issue.
This is something Allegri will solve eventually. Do not forget he is slowly adjusting the team and understanding it, all that while we are top of the league. Will almost half of the team in/out I would say we should be beyond happy. January is around the corner…. I am sure Tare is actually already working on it.
yup. It’s unbalanced for sure, as pointed by the article. But you hit a great point, half the team has been in and out. I could arguably say, Allegri has not been able to field our best 11 players. Whether it’s Rafa out, Puli out, Jashari injured etc. The fact that we are top of the table despite it (and even with our striker on a massive slump) is admirable.
god-willing the 532 doesn’t last long. So that Nkunku, Leao & Pulisic can all play, either in a 433 or 343.
In no way is this “unbalanced” or too attacking. We’ve just been conditioned by an all-time poor and defensive crop of Serie A managers this season, half the teams are playing a 532 and it’s really hurting the league.
Imo 19 players are adequate for playing once per week as long as it’s quality players and players in the right roles. While I get why one might want an additional true striker, I still feel we can make do esp with the way we’re set up (not a true 2 at the top but in reality 1 up top and then one or two supporting strikers depending on how we set up).
It’s far better than having 25 players in the team and half of them clearly not playing all year, reduced values etc
Either Pulisic, Leão or Nkunku will leave in the summer. My money is on Pulisic as ACM will get a good return. They’ll use the money from the sale to buy a 9.
Nkunku said himself that his best role is attacking midfielder. Milan needs to get a no.9 so their players can play in their best position in a 4-3-3.
Leao on the left wing
Nkunku rotating between midfield and further up front
Pulisic on the right even though he’s been great as a second striker
433 sacrifices some defense compared to 532 but the attacking gains are worth it since the best players on the team are attackers playing out of position.
A back line of Tomori, Gabbia, Bartesaghi and Athekame with De Winter, Pavlovic, Estupinan as subs.
Salamaekers loses out in a 4-3-3 but can be subbed into a 3-5-2 with second half leads.