MN: The six concrete targets Milan had during January and why each didn’t join

AC Milan’s January transfer window has ended up being a quiet one with just one signing to look back on, though it was hardly short of links.

MilanNews recalls that Marko Lazetic arrived in Pietro Pellegri’s place as the only real move in the squad, though Andrea Conti did leave for Sampdoria but he was not a part of the plans, meaning it was the quietest January of the last four years in terms of activity in the squad.

Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara reached out to Sven Botman’s agents shortly after Simon Kjaer’s season-ending injury trying to understand if it would be possible to sign him in January. The player’s will was clear: yes to Milan and no to Newcastle, but Lille did not want to sell. Milan tried for weeks, though they have in all likelihood set the stage for the summer.

Then the profiles of Abdou Diallo (Pioli’s second in order of preference) and Eric Bailly were negotiated over too with PSG and Manchester United respectively, but for different reasons neither of them materialised. There was an attempt then to sign a young defender in Malick Thiaw of Schalke 04 that was also unsuccessful.

There was a late attempt made to sign Renato Sanches from Lille, who like his team-mate Botman is also a concrete target for the summer, but that failed. There were no concrete links for the attacking department aside from Dejan Kulusevski, yet there was not the basis to set up a real negotiation with Juventus.

With Samu Castillejo remaining, Milan’s winter market ends looking bereft of any real activity, so now Stefano Pioli and his side can focus on what feels like an unlikely Scudetto push.

READ MORE: Why Milan had a quiet January and the reason big summer spending is expected