Carlo Pellegatti has laid bare AC Milan’s struggles when it comes to finding the right investment for the striker position.
Milan are once again having problems in the striker role. Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao continue to be consistent in their output, but Santiago Gimenez and Christopher Nkunku – who both cost over €30m – are yet to score a goal in the league so far this season.
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This has led to suggestions that Igli Tare is working on solutions as early as January. Mauro Icardi and Artem Dovbyk have been mentioned, while for next summer it seems that Robert Lewandowski is the big target, with the Rossoneri evaluating the idea of an Ibrahimovic and Giroud-esque coup.
Pellegatti diagnoses the problems
Pellegatti published a column for MilanNews in which he dived deeper into Milan’s problems when it comes to spending on the right No.9, putting forward some rather damning statistics.
“The topic of these lines… the centre-forward. Present, future, and distant future. I’ll mention, but only briefly, the striker for next season, because today, even speculating on his role is pure… smoke and mirrors. For different reasons, but all valid and indisputable.
“The first concerns Europe, which AC Milan will be involved in. Playing in the Champions League requires a greater investment in the transfer market, but also makes it more attractive to players who might be contacted by Igli Tare. Playing in the most prestigious cup is always a key factor in the players’, or rather, the players’, decisions.
“The second reason stems from the potential growth of forwards – especially young ones – who have not yet made a significant impact on international football, but who could become key players over the course of the season.
“The third, but not least, depends on the owners’ and management’s willingness to invest a significant sum in the centre-forward.
“Today I wanted to study the post-Inzaghi statistics, and the results were shocking. Only two investments, and not even very large ones, performed as desired by managers and fans: Mario Balotelli and Carlos Bacca.
“Only these two, in short, scored double figures; the others were a disaster, also because none had the hallmarks of a champion, and they confirmed it with poor performances. For those who now object, highlighting the performances of Ibrahimović and Giroud, I invite you to go back a few lines, because I’m examining the purchases that involved an investment of money.
“Overall, I can say – I don’t know the mysterious reason – that Milan have never paid much more than €30m for the centre-forward, the team’s most prestigious position. The results have confirmed that this was a mistake.
“To find the last serious investment that had a success in terms of goals and performances, you have to go to Carlos Bacca, a very underrated centre-forward, today an immovable starter for this Milan.
➤ 2012-13 season. Mario Balotelli: 12 goals in his first league season, 14 in his second.
➤ 2014-15 season. The striker is Fernando Torres, on loan: 1 goal scored.
➤ 2015-2016 season. €30m investment for Carlos Bacca: 18 goals in the first year and 14 in the second.
➤ 2016-2017 season. Gianluca Lapadula cost €9m, reaching 8 goals, still among the best.
➤ 2017-2018 season. The jewel in the crown is André Silva, who cost €35m and scored two goals. Nikola Kalinić was also acquired in the same transfer window for €25m, scoring six goals.
➤ 2018-2019 season. Two-striker solution. Until January, Gonzalo Higuaín, but the real investment was in Krzysztof Piątek: €35m, 9 league goals.
➤ 2019-2020 season. No investment on a striker. Ibrahimović and Rebić signed.
➤ 2020-2021 season. No investment on a striker.
➤ 2021-2022 season. No investment on a striker. Giroud signed.
➤ 2022-2023 season. No investment on a striker. Origi signed.
➤ 2023-2024 Season. Noah Okafor acquired for €14m: 6 goals.
➤ 2024-2025 season. Álvaro Morata joins the squad in the summer transfer window, costing €15m and scoring five goals in six months. In January, Santi Giménez arrives, costing €30m: scoring five goals from February to May.
“I won’t add much else. When Milan has invested heavily – never more than 35, however – the results have been poor. You’re undoubtedly right about the choices made for Ibrahimović and Giroud.
“Conclusion. Since a functional striker will be acquired in January, certainly not the product of a huge investment, one to forget about Jonathan David and Robert Lewandowski , let’s hope that then, in the summer transfer window, real money is invested in a striker who responds with goals. It would be the first time in the last ten years!”
Bacca was born either ten years too late or ten years too early. He was exactly what managers wanted in the 00s and exactly what that are all looking for now.
His left foot was completely unusable and his passing was atrocious but daaaaamn that guy knew how to score.
I guess Ibra and Giroud don’t “count” because they were not technically purchased, but they would be near the top of the list post-Inzaghi. But otherwise, yeah it’s Bacca and Balo, which is kind of sad given how long ago that wat at this point, and all the money spent since then. Kalinic and Piatek were particularly atrocious purchases. Silva was strange. He left and started scoring again, unlike the others, so there is/was talent there. The truly sad thing is, the club spends 15-25M every season on mediocre strikers. Why not spend 60-70M on a guarantee and then not have to spend anything on the position for 4-5 seasons? It basically amounts to the same thing, if not less over time. I guess the counter agruement is there are no guarantees…
Absolutely there are no guarantees.
Juventus spent 80 million on Vlahovic. What guarantees does he provide?
ManUtd have probably spent a billion over the same time period on strikers and just like Milan they still don’t have a striker worth a damn.
Liverpool spent 250 mil on 2 strikers and both of them are bad.
Inter spent only 20 mil on Lautaro Martinez and he is the best striker in the league.
What striker is out there outside of Haaland, Kane and old Lewandowski that provide guarantees even if you spend a lot of money on him?
Good point but we could signed Alvarez and Retegui for less than 50m combined but instead Milan allowed other clubs to sign them when we could have signed them for a bargain.
In my opinion Milan should go for icardi in January and Vlahovic next summer who will be a free agent.