AC Milan are fully focused on winning the Scudetto this Sunday but there is also an eye towards improving the squad in view of next season.
La Gazzetta dello Sport write how there are some obvious positions to strengthen and one in particular is that of central attacking midfielder, a role which is absolutely vital in Stefano Pioli’s system and game mechanisms but has suffered due to Brahim Diaz’s inconsistency.
Milan have the right to keep Brahim on loan for another year, but it must be understood if and how much Pioli is still willing to back him, given he seems to be behind both Franck Kessie and Rade Krunic in the pecking order now.
Kessie however will definitely leave, with his destination set to be Barcelona, and the preferred profile to replace the Ivorian is Renato Sanches of Lille. This is not only because of his quality but also his versatility because if necessary the 24-year-old Portugal international can also play as an attacking midfielder, just like Kessie.
There is a dream solution though and he goes by the name of Christopher Nkunku, who recently opened to a possible departure: “I see myself at Leipzig for now, then anything can happen.” The Frenchman is valued at over €60m and that is a sum that Milan do not intend to put on the plate, but they are ready for opportunities.
The other scenario is to go looking for a playmaker-right winger hybrid like last summer when Junior Messias arrived. Should the Brazilian leave – and his permanent signing from Crotone is far from certain – Paolo Maldini and Massara could go for someone of his mould.
Imagine Leao LW and Nkunku Rw,my God,we would already won the tittle by midseason
I think Nkunku is more suited for the Attacking midfielder role,we should get a great right winger..I also like Dybala a lot for our no 10 role..Belotti for our striker.. Forza Milan..
I’ve been posting messages over and over that I’d love Dybala for a lot of reasons:
1. he knows Serie A obviously
2. he can play centrally as CAM and also RW (he has played both positions quite often for both Juve and Argentina — he loves to start right and cut inside to his favorite left foot and curl the shot into the far top left corner (like Arjen Robben… and our poor man’s Robben we had for years Suso).
3. we take him away from one of our two biggest rivals for Scudetto next year (Juve) and prevent our other biggest rival (Inter) from getting him.
Nkunku,Dybala, De Ketelaere. All great
I think the solution is not signing a “new Brahim” or adapting someone to that role, but rather playing 4-3-3, that’s the best solution, and if we get Renato I think it would almost be a confirmation that Pioli is going to try a 4-3-3 formation next season, because Renato makes more sense with that formation, and I think that’s what the team needs. With players like Adli, Pobega or Krunic we already have enough subs for the 3 midfielder positions, assuming Tonali, Bennacer and Renato will be starters.
I actually think that with Botman who is naturally a left centerback and Tomori likes right center back (but Kalulu is also more comfortable on the right) that the ideal for us next year will be 3 centerbacks with Kalulu on right, Tomori in center and Botman on left.
That will allow Theo to play further up the pitch as a left wing back the way he has been very successful with the French national team. Florenzi can play right wing back on the right side and Tonali/Bennacer in the middle in a 3-4-3 formation (or a 3-4-2-1 formation or a 3-4-1-2 formation).
Renato Sanches is really more effective offensively than as a defensive mid anyway so he could be a more advanced midfielder in a 3-4-1-2 — Sanches can be the “1” and Leao can be one of the 2 forwards with the other side being Origi (and/or Dybala or Berardi or Belotti or Asensio or Gabriel Jesus — whoever we get for the right side).