AC Milan made five additions in January, acting on several opportunities that were presented to them in the five weeks. How can it help moving forward, though?
Milan fans have campaigned for additions all season at the first opportunity of asking, and the management duly replied. A right-back and a striker were the main priorities, whilst midfield coverage was also targeted.
Kyle Walker and Santiago Gimenez filled the first two positions, while Warren Bondo, Joao Felix, and Riccardo Sottil were added to the squad. Each option arguably improved the team’s base layer.
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For the immediate future, the Rossoneri have raised the general level of the team significantly; Walker adds reliability and further leadership to the backline (and team generally), Felix bridges a gap in attack that has often been unsuccessfully filled by Tijjani Reijnders, whilst Gimenez adds a goalscoring threat which has been missing all season.
Bondo’s arrival is arguably more relevant in the context of the future, though he will also provide a valuable midfield option for when Youssouf Fofana needs a rest. Sottil also provides depth for Rafael Leao and boosts the side’s registration list.
Looking at the here and now, the Diavolo are in a much better position when it comes to finishing the season and reaching aims. Sergio Conceicao has been backed heavily, which he requested, so theoretically, the tools for success are already there.
Now, it is a case of putting those tools to immediate use to head towards a Champions League spot in Serie A this season, whilst also working to show themselves well in the Coppa Italia – which we have already seen so far with the victory against Roma in midweek.
Of course, Conceicao’s future is only secure for six months, so he has something to prove, as well as being tasked to further improve the team’s quality. However, the level of investment in the team suggests that he, and the club, are looking past the summer already.
The future is important to brief here too. Despite being 34, Walker can improve the mental level of the team, and even if he may not be the future of the position, he can help an understudy like Alex Jimenez in the next few years if his stay is made permanent.
Fans have already shown a lot of love for Felix and Geoffrey Moncada has not ruled out a permanent deal in the summer, though it would certainly be unwise to be too far in the balance after just a few days.
Sottil also deserves a mention here, at 25 the club believe they can increase his level further than what has been seen recently, and if nothing else, he provides a good replacement for Leao when the Portuguese needs a rest.
In many ways, Bondo can also be filtered into a similar category, even if his deal is already that of a permanent one. The Frenchman is just 21 and has significant room for growth ahead of him, and considering Moncada’s extensive scouting, he will have been likely comparing his current growth towards an idea of his growth that was created when the Diavolo were first interested.
Finally, we get to the crown jewel – Santi Gimenez. Milan fought heavily to bring the Mexican striker to the club, and in many ways, the striker represents everything that the Rossoneri haven’t in recent years – ambition.
At 23, he has years of goalscoring ahead of him (touch wood), and the Diavolo will struggle to see a downside. It, on paper, seems like a signing with only an upside.
In the simplest terms, the January mercato could possibly be defined as a masterclass in mid-season windows. Milan added what they needed, when they needed it, whilst also being calculated.
The short, and more importantly long-term future, is in a very good position, credit where it is due.
