AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli has said that Rade Krunic is staying at the club and he also had high praise for Christian Pulisic following the 4-1 win over Torino.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia after the match on Saturday night (via Milan News), the Italian coach discussed a number of topics and dropped some big hints about the transfer market.
Krunic has been heavily linked with a move away from Milan and Lyon scouts were supposedly at the game to watch him play, but when asked if he will stay, Pioli simply said: “Yes”.
When asked about what level the team is currently at, Pioli seemed to hint that close attention is still being paid to the transfer market.
“Our objective is to fight for two competitions. We showed steps forward compared to Bologna. We have to continue like this, getting to know each other better and becoming more of a team. As a team we are already at a good point, but we’ll see in the coming days; the club is always attentive and very proactive, we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Asked more specifically about whether a striker is going to be signed in the final week of the transfer window, Pioli said: “Giroud is a great player, but it is clear that when there is the Champions League, wanting to be competitive in both competitions, no one can guarantee 100% for the whole season. The more solutions we have the better. At the moment we are full, but then the club will see what to do.”
Milan were extremely impressive at times during the win over Torino and Pioli suggested that the team is more serene now than it was before.
“Playing here at the San Siro makes us so happy and the team feels that. Last season was complicated, we had perhaps lost that joy and serenity that had always accompanied us. Now we’ve restarted with great enthusiasm,” he said.
It was also put to him that the team is looking more proactive so far this season than last, to which he said: “It’s always been our way of playing. We’re not a team that likes to wait. Today we started the game well, the pressure from the strikers favoured us.”
Do you alternate between the 4-2-3-1 and the 4-3-3?
“There is this possibility and there will be when everyone is in the best condition. But it’s not the system of play that makes you more offensive, but the positions. We are probably more offensive this year than last year because we have two centre-backs who insert a lot. We have some principles, then it’s the field that says whether we change something. We have many alternatives, Pulisic can play behind Giroud. But it’s time to give continuity, then we’ll see.”
Is Pulisic a champion?
“A great player, very intelligent. We need balance. The team has taken two steps forward compared to Bologna. We did a lot of good things, but we can do even better.”
Everyone seems to be running a lot…
“At Bologna the team has run more since I arrived and we are still not physically brilliant, so it means there is a lot of availability. If we all run I think we have our cards to play. The group is forming very well.”
