Seven players signed, fifteen sold. No matter how the Milan management would want to define it, it has been a summer of revolution.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write this morning, that calculation doesn’t include the five players (Saelemaekers, Bennacer, Adli, Okafor and Lazetic) who returned from loans elsewhere and are still owned by Milan.
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The seven who left Milanello on free transfers (Florenzi, Jovic and Vasquez) or failed to buy (Walker, Joao Felix, Sottil and Abraham) must be factored in total. In total, we’re talking about 33 players moving, one way or another.
There are still more than two weeks left in the transfer window, and at least one more surefire signing in attack is coming (perhaps Rasmus Hojlund), but Milan’s summer can already be summed up in one word: revolution.
After all, after an eighth-place finish in the league and a season that, despite the first trophy of the Red Bird era – the Supercoppa Italiana in Riyadh – can be described as disappointing understatement, a decisive turnaround was needed.
Even before they were on the pitch, the Diavolo had already changed their skin off it: Igli Tare as sporting director and Massimiliano Allegri as coach. Two key figures in reshaping the team.
The midfield
So far, Milan have spent €102.5m on signings alone, which with bonuses could rise to €111.5m. The most significant investments? At the heart of every formation, the midfield.
Ardon Jashari was the most expensive acquisition (€34m plus €3m in bonuses from Club Brugge), Samuele Ricci the second (€23m + €2m from Torino). Plus the luxury free transfer, Luka Modric, who brought a Ballon d’Or winner to Italy. The last one was Cristiano Ronaldo.
Of course, in midfield, Milan also sold one of their most prized assets, Tijjani Reijnders, for €57m plus €15m in bonuses from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. But every revolution involves painful sacrifices.
The flanks and defence
Other areas that have been completely changed include the flanks in defence. Theo Hernandez (€25m from Al Hilal) left, replaced by Pervis Estupinan, the first Ecuadorian in Milan’s history. Of the 2024-25 right-backs (Emerson Royal, Calabria, Florenzi, Walker and Jimenez), only the latter remains.
Meanwhile, Tare has focused heavily on Zachary Athekame (who has been made official today) and the return of Alexis Saelemaekers from his loan at Roma, plus, if desired, the versatile Koni De Winter (€20m between fixed fee and bonuses), whom Allegri previously coached at Juventus.
The Belgian, however, is primarily a centre-back, and it’s no coincidence that he was snapped up quickly (in less than 48 hours) after Thiaw left for Newcastle for €40m.
The rest
Up front, a new centre-forward is awaited. Meanwhile, at least three players are still missing from the transfer window: Bennacer, Adli and Lazetic are not part of the first-team squad and are officially on the market awaiting a settlement.
Tare has also worked hard on young players, from Camarda and Comotto on loan to Lecce and Spezia, respectively, to Liberali being sold to Catanzaro with a 50% resale clause.
He has managed to resolve thorny situations (from Emerson Royal being placed at Flamengo to Morata returning from Galatasaray to Como). The revolution is thus almost complete, all that’s needed is one final push.
Revolution number? Milan has the most ridiculous management in world football. Every 2 years revolution and that 1 year is fixing the “revolution”. And then we go again.
You make it sound like a revolution AFTER FINISHING 8TH is a bad thing. Our midfield was crap last season. Defense was leaking. We needed this.
Revolution every 2 years brings instability. You probably said the same things a few years ago when it was 5th position. Nobody does that.
And we have the same defence, Thiaw swapped for De Winter. That is now top defence? Allegri has to play 3 at the back as we don’t have 2 really solid defenders. Midfield? You keep insulting Reijnders, City paid 57M and maybe more for him because he is bad? And you are being serious. The real improvement in this team is Allegri and maybe midfield. They didn’t play yet. We’ll see.
“And we have the same defence”
Calabria. Gone. Walker. Gone. Emerson Royal. Gone. Theo. Gone. Thiaw. Gone.
Half of the defense has changed. But SURE, let’s say “we have the same defence”. 😀 😀 😀 😀
Forgot about Florenzi too. 🙂
“You keep insulting Reijnders”
LOL. No, I don’t. I’ve said the man can’t defend and that’s a fact. Not an insult.
To a point, yes. But Milan need to strengthen instead of “revolutionize” – that’s what Maldini was asking for after he Scudetto season. But that requires sporting ambition which our owners don’t have. We look for “flips”. So each year they bring in players to flip, not strengthen …
You really do have a pudding brain. Tare has done great work. And take it from someone who has slammed this management many times in the past.
Bringing in Tare to make changes was the right move after many mistakes. And the reinforcements have been proper, as well as the players sold. And the proper changes were made while maintaining a balanced budget.
You’re too stupid, I won’t bother with you anymore. Your input and “slamming” is irrelevant when your brain capacity is of a duck.
Buy Jon Aramburu !
Quick hide this article from maldini’s heir!!!
Milan fans don’t need an article to understand that the management has been horrific for two years. Just get your head out of Jerry’s as*.
Oh here comes the 2nd hand maldini’s heir
Are you seriously attacking people for being negative about Milan going from Scudetto to out of any European competition in 5 years? No it has been amazing, all praises to management and the previous revolutions.
Thanks, reading your comments on this site helps me to sleep faster.
HAHAHA, he is either having the orgasm of his life or a mental breakdown.
“But every revolution involves painful sacrifices.”
Not really, with proper management behind, all this wouldn’t be necessary. Did they need to sacrifice Tonali? From 90 millions spent after, only 40 million duo turned out something. That’s around their net spend. The rest is to this day, a pile of deadwood. Did they need to sacrifice Reijnders? Not really, there was still that same pile of deadwood that would bring in enough money. They managed to clean it but we’re still stuck with the likes of Chuk and Musah who could easily bring in 40 to 50 millions.
Gonna be a lot more of these “didn’t have to sell” moves in our future with the current ownership because that’s the status quo.
Unfortunately Elliott isn’t going anywhere until the stadium issue is looming and Scaroni is involved. To sell this club you have to have a stadium clearance attached to it and we are nowhere near it. So …
Well… They kind of did have to sell Tiji because he wanted City.
Somehow, for me, Chukwueze and Ruben Loftus Cheek are 2 players who flopped mostly last season.
Ok there is need for back ups, but I would rather keep Adli and Bennacer for RLC.
Chukwueze is ideal for sale. After 2 season he is still player who give back ball to defence.
Milan has had great reinforcements this summer. I am someone who has posted MANY criticisms of management in the past. Tare was the right move to start off with, and the players he has brought in are proper and quality.
I still think more can be done, including a striker and maybe another midfielder. A striker is obvious. The latter would involve selling Bennacer, Adli and Musah.
Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. These are bandaids for a shark bite which is our ownership. We aren’t truly going anywhere as a club while these clowns are in charge.
Every year there will be more capital gains and players moving instead of truly strengthening and upgrading this team.
Top4 Milan is not the Milan I grew up with. That’s not the Milan the likes of MVB, Baresi, Maldini, Sheva played for. Yet that’s what we’re aiming for these days. “Don’t worry about Scudetto, Max. We just need you to bring us to Top4 and keep us there.”
Tare has done a great job and yet we still need a striker and figure out what to do with Okafor, Chuk, Musah, Bennacer (considered old and injury-prone but RLC gets to stay), and Adli. It just shows what a huge mess our management has created the past two seasons. Out of the twenty players they signed, the only player expected to feature in the starting eleven is Pulisic.
Milan finished last season 8th. That probably demanded a revolution of sorts. We got one. Why is everyone in a such frenzy? Only 3 players did reasonably well last season; Pulisic, Fofana and Reijnders. Glad to see we kept at least 2 of them. Everyone else apart from Leao was expendable. Let’s just get on with the new season.
Hojlund would be a great signing. He would open space for Leao, and he can create on his own unlike Gimenez. Make it happen, Ibra!