As we head towards the end of the season, we can begin to reflect on the players brought in before and during the current campaign to strengthen the squad.
Elliott Management have made no secret of the fact their project is centred around young players and building for the long term, but the results have been somewhat unexpected and it changed the plans regarding the market.
Below are the signings that Maldini and Massara made in summer 2020 and in the recent January window and how each have fared, as per MilanNews.
Pierre Kalulu: Another pupil of Geoffrey Moncada, Kalulu signed for Milan after failing to agree a senior contract with Lyon. Not much was expected of the Frenchman, but he has made 15 appearances and even has a goal. He looks like a flexible and fast defender with a rosy future, making Lyon regret.
Brahim Diaz: Having passed through Manchester City and Real Madrid, Milan fans expected a certain calibre of player, but Brahim has never convinced at best and has always given the idea of being able to do more. He has 31 appearances for the Rossoneri, compared to 21 with Real and 15 in the first team for City. He has 5 goals for the Rossoneri.
Sandro Tonali: For the boyhood Milan fan, the club could end up paying €35m, so it is normal that expectations are high. Tonali has not yet fully convinced, but he needs patience having often been used as a starter due to injuries. The Italy international has 30 total appearances with no goals or assists, but plenty of positive signs.
Ciprian Tatarusanu: Another signing from Lyon, and another intuition of Moncada. Tatarusanu added experience to the team, and when he took the field he almost always showed confidence as except for the half disaster against Roma, he has three clean sheets in four outings.
Jens Petter Hauge: After impressing in the Europa League qualifiers with Bodo/Glimt, the choice of the Rossoneri management was to sign him for €4m. Hauge’s start was red hot, scoring 4 goals in the first half of the season, and he now has 23 appearances. There has been a sudden drop recently, which led to his exclusion from the Europe League squad list, but it is mainly down to fatigue given he came from Norway where the season starts in March.
Diogo Dalot: Dalot arrived on a dry loan and has played on both the right and on the left side of the defence, racking up 24 appearances, amassing 2 assists and 2 goals scored. In two seasons at Manchester United, for comparison, he made 35 appearances in total.
Soualiho Meite: He was not a first choice at Torino, but became an important player for a team fighting at the top of the table. Meité has already made 15 appearances and has 1 assist, proving his value and potential. His mistake in the return leg against United, however, remains a difficult stain to erase.
Mario Mandzukic: The most anonymous of the signings so far, so it is hard to judge as he has 158 minutes played so far this season.
Fikayo Tomori: The real surprise of this Milan’s winter transfer market, above all for how his negotiations have developed. The Rossoneri management had focused strongly on Simakan, but Tomori ended up arriving showing his excellent positioning, physicality and speed. The Englishman is the symbol of the ideal player for Maldini: a strong player in one vs. one situations, and his 12 appearances already are a testament to this.
