With not long to go in the transfer window, there is a real chance that AC Milan end the summer mercato with a squad that is too small.
That is according to MilanNews, who begin by stating that the big news is the stalling of negotiations between Milan and Liverpool for Joe Gomez. The Reds initially reached an agreement with the Rossoneri, but then did not give the green light to send him to Italy.
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The reason was a delay in completing the final paperwork and scheduling the medical, while waiting for news on Marc Guehi arriving as a replacement. Igli Tare thus turned to Wolfsburg talent David Odogu, which raises some worries.
Too small a squad?
Despite the recent arrivals of Nkunku, Rabiot, and Odogu, Milan have a very small squad. The Rossoneri won’t be playing in the Champions League, but they’ll still be in the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana during a very tough winter.
With 23 players leaving – when factoring in sales, loan and contract expirations – and far less new arrivals the squad has certainly been thinned out across the board. In fact, the first team now has 22 players in the squad, of which only 19 are outfield players.
It is a truly small squad, especially considering Jashari’s injury, which has left him out for at least eight weeks. Rabiot’s arrival will certainly help the midfield, but the defence, at least on paper, to have received that decisive upgrade.
The pitch will tell the story and will be the sole judge after a truly intense summer for Milan, from every perspective. Allegri wanted to streamline the squad, but this much? Only he knows.
Hope pervis is playing soon better. 😬😭🤣🙏🏽♥️🖤
That’s not good, IMO you need at least 23 players, 19 is WAY too little, and the fact that they bring in players like Nkunku who Allegri doesn’t even know what to do with in his own words shows that these guys have lost the damn plot.
Di you heard from Allegri he does not know what to do with Nkunku ?
Yes, friend. He said so to a journalist about a week ago. The article is on this site somewhere.
Yes, he said it in the Press conference when Nkunku arrived.
Do they know what they are doing? I’m not sure. If they plan to play in a 5-3-2 formation, what happens if it doesn’t work out? In that formation, against teams with a low block, Leao and Pulisic cannot play as attackers. That will soon become apparent. It’s easy to play Lea as a CF against Liverpool and Arsenal because they played on the counter. If they play 4-3-3, then the right back and replacement for Leao is missing. Technically it can be replaced because Pulišić, Salemakers and, if necessary, Nkunku can also play, while Tomori and De Winter can play the right back, but what if there is an injury or a drop in the player’s form????
We don’t have 19 players overall, we have 19 outfield players, as the article mentions, meaning 19 without the goalkeepers, so 22 overall. That should be enough for a season without european football.
Two of those players are out on injury and pulisic has ankle issues
This is fraudulent, you sold and bought for have the income and bought players that are not tested. Why Why
Top players want to play UCL. Last time I checked Milan can’t offer that.
if Tare said that, we should hire somebody else
Let’s hope they still feel competition for places
I understand that we needed to do some sort of bigger revamp this year after as horrible season as the 2024/25 was but in my view ideally we should only buy 2,3 additions that are improvements and then promote maybe 2,3 youth players pr. season. The way this club is run is very much becoming reminiscent to me to how Chelsea operates just with smaller amounts spend by us on marquee signings. Look at what that has gotten them. It’s paramount that teams has consistency and coherency as that create identity and the players will have a greater understanding of how and when they move for eachother. The additions besides of improving the squad where its needed also helps the group dynamics from not going completely stale.
I hope for a great season but I certainly had bigger hopes for this squad and Mercato 3 weeks ago.
We need to give minutes to some of the primavera players anyways…
I agree!! Milan should promote youth players, what is the point to have youth team without promoting them?! Perhaps this season is the big chance to promote promissing youth players ‼️
It would be ok if most positions are covered. But you have -1 central defender and -1 striker and more than a few extra midfielders. In a season without playing 2 games a week you can do with 19-20 players. But if the team is constructed properly. This looks like hastily done in the past few days as it was. Good luck Allegri!
The wings is still an issue, you loan jimenez no replacement, just collecting money, so how do u make the money with credible players. What is an 18 yeah old to what we have now tare is clueless. Why by Athezakme if you wont use him and you are making multiple calls for wing backs on deadline day. This is distarous and deceptive why not stack the money to buy a quality one andi they want to go to champions league.
You were ready to give out your good players but non wanted to sell should it teach us something.
The bankers are here for trading. There was only one person within the management that we know for sure wanted to take care of the club, genuinely. One person who was not interested in business and ego trip. One person who brought the club back to prominence. One person who was fired after standing against the bankers. Now they destroy the club and use the chaos they initiated to justify all that disgusting business. There’s no football in any of that. Allegri can already testify about that. People here are still talking about tactics as if this is still a football team. A.C. Milan has lost its soul. Let’s burn Casa Milan to the ground.
This, RedBird is a disaster. They have proven time and time again they have no idea what they are doing and trying their best to rip the soul out of this club. How can anyone defend this management?
Hopefully the stadium story goes forward soon as they will sell once that is ready.
So this mean 2-3 youth players will get the chance instead if we have alot of injuries? Not all bad news.
GK (3): Maignan, Terracciano, Torriani
DF (9): Pavlovic, Gabbia, Tomori, De Winter, Odogu, Estupinian, Bartesaghi, Saelesmaekers, Athekame
MF (6): Modric, Fofana, R-L-C, Ricci, Rabiot, Jashari,
FW (4): Gimenez, Leao, Pulisic, Nkunku
Thats 22 senior players. For a 3-5-2 (or a 5-3-2 whatever you want to call it) thats 2 players for every position except for goalkeepers who are 3, and we only got 5 CBs for the 3 starting, but Bartesaghi can play there if needed.
With just the league and the italian cup this year, that seems like a good number of players given the limited number of matcher compared to if we had European cup play? Allegri also said he wanted to slim it down to 22-23 players.
We have 4 CBs (and one has played 3 times in his career) and are playing with a back 3. All it takes is one injury…
I still don’t know the game plan here set out by allegri. A 3 5 2. Your 3 best players on the team are leao, pulisic, nkunku. All of which aren’t strikers which your playing a formation that should consist of them, if you now switch to a 4 3 3 you lack depth on the wings unless you tend to play saelemaekers and nkunku as subs to leao and pulisic. All very confusing and I just don’t understand how your best players can fit into this team and you only have 4 cb’s which none are fantastic and play a formation that needs 3. One injury in the season and we’re in trouble. Akanji going to inter really bothered me.
This squad can handle 4-3-3 with Ricci as no. 6 with Modric and R-L-C as mezzalas, Leao-Gimenez-Pulisic up top and Nkunku and Saelesmaekers as possible wingers. Nkunku could even start as lwf and Leao as cf.
But it looks like 3-5-2 will be Allegris preferred likeup, that could turn into 3-4-2-1 at times but with R-L-C as one of the two behind the CF, not Leao and Pulisic…..
In the 1977–78 season Nottingham County won 1. division (EPL today) with only 17 players, including the goalkeeper.
In the 1969–70 season Leeds United managed to play 60 matches in one season with only 20 players, loosing it all. A legendary run though.
Source: Fodbold var bedre i 90´erne.
One more experienced CB and a more daring manager than Allegri, and we are in the clear.
Small correction Kristian 🙂
You are mixing up Notts County with Nottingham Forest who won the 1.division that year, not to mention that the following two years they won the European Champions Cup (now cl). Notts County though is the oldest football club in the world though.
My bad and you are right.
I meant Nottingham Forrest, not County. The club of Brian Clough.
Thank you:)
No problem and yes the club of Brian Clough.
Not sure if you’re sarcastic here or if you really believe that football hasn’t changed in pace, intensity, physical and psychological exhaustion since half a century ago.
Allegri has been appointed by this very management, don’t tell me they’re suddenly finding out one week before the end of the mercato that he has his own idea of football. And it’s not only about quantity, it’s also about quality. Some of these 19 players are terrible.
Personally I do consider the sport better in the 1990ies. More entertaining and more of a mans sport compared to nowadays. Less money more loyalty as well.
He wanted to get rid of surplus to acquire proven quality…instead he had Theo replaced by a worse player who is 2 million cheaper on average per year..but half as talented offensively and slower..
Got rid of 3 RB…have some swiss unknown kid fit for a top of the table Serie B team for 2 to 3 years, not for our level of play.
Thiaw left for arguably a less talented player and a nobody bum when Leoni, Allegri’s requested player left Parma for less than their combined prices.
Jashari came in last minute to save 4 million we ended up paying anyway, done for the season because he didn’t get in good enough shape to be ready for high intensity training. Ricci will be solid and Modric too. Will those 2 make up for Tijjani leaving? Rabiot…we will see, if he has a good season his mom will try to get us to sell him to another team guaranteed.
Well…We have 1 striker, a semi striker/winger
1 left winger. 1 rw in Puli, Salad is more of a worker than useful offensive option. Arguably got weaker here. Nkunku hasn’t had a good season in ages and is as frail as the LB we brought, so how reliable will he be? Leao will not have Theo to draw defenders to him because they now his wb is as exciting offensively as a pin dropping.
So again, a Furliani like turnover. Plenty randos in, enough money to buy 2 Haalands, and got temu versions of dollar store items instead..
9th to 12th place here we come..
Goodbye Mike, Puli and Leao next summer.
So true sir .. I have never been so sad after a mercato
Iam expecting a few breakout stars from the Primavera this season. The Lw/St showed lots of promise.