The Stefano Pioli merry-go-round at AC Milan seems to have reached its final cycle. Things look almost un-saveable for the 58-year-old, so now it is a case of looking to who may replace him next season.
As our colleagues at SempreMilan.it write, almost all roads lead to the separation of the Rossoneri and Pioli. The only roads that would lead to a continuation of Pioli at the helm are filled with surprising victories and bring the first Europa League trophy to the trophy collection.
Should Milan decide to move forward without their current manager, they will have to continue to pay his salary until 2025, the end of his contract. As such, this limits the Diavolo in terms of what routes they can take and points them towards Thiago Motta, as opposed to the other names linked, such as Antonio Conte.
The reasons behind Milan’s interest in Motta
Motta’s current contract with Bologna expires in the summer of 2024, which is ideal timing for the Rossoneri. He has not shown any indications of re-signing, which strengthens the chances of his arrival.
Napoli tried to tempt Motta recently, after the sacking of Rudi Garcia, but, he has no intention of leaving his current post in the middle of the season, and he also would prefer to take the reigns at Milan as opposed to the Partenopei. Out of respect for the current regime, Milan believe they should end their relationship at the end of the season.
Additionally, Motta’s system with the Veltri is a 4-2-3-1, which matches the personnel who are currently at Milan, meaning there would be no need for an overhaul of players to fit a new system, and would limit the time needed to learn philosophies attached to other systems.
Motta’s Bologna has an average starting XI age of 24.8, the third youngest in Serie A, which acts as another positive in the eyes of RedBird. The way forward, they believe, is with youth at the forefront, something the former PSG midfielder buys into.
There is another bonus of this youth philosophy. There has been persistent interest from Milan in both Joshua Zirkzee, and Lewis Ferguson, who are both students of Motta currently, and they would gladly follow him to the Rossoneri.
Above all, though, his current salary with the Rossoblu is around €2.5million. A much more reasonable fee to pay per annum than Conte, who would ask for a figure of at least €7m, in the eyes of the club.
De Zerbi is seen as the first reserve for Milan, should they not capture Motta. The system he uses at Brighton (4-2-3-1) has earned many plaudits, along with his style of play which acts as an additional motivation for the Rossoneri’s interest.
His salary is only €2m at Brighton, though, his contract expires in June 2026, and to release him from the contract would cost between €8-€10m, a damaging, but not deadly factor. Additionally, he has expressed his interest in continuing in England, given his views on Italian football, which makes a deal potentially difficult.
Rafael Palladino is still appreciated and a name on the list, but his system (3-5-2) would require an overhaul of the squad, which makes a move for him off-putting. Most of the summer investments would not be compatible with the idea of a 3-5-2, which also draws negatives to the idea of the current Monza manager at the helm.
