Sky journalist Manuele Baiocchini has revealed when Paulo Fonseca should be officially named as the head coach of AC Milan and named the two priorities he has this summer.
It is no longer a secret that Fonseca is the man who should soon arrive to become the next head coach of Milan and the heir to Stefano Pioli, as we are only waiting for the official communication to arrive it seems.
Baiocchini spoke on Sky this afternoon and revealed the time frame in which the white smoke is expected as well as when the club should announce that the Portuguese coach will be taking charge from 2024-25 onwards.
“Fonseca’s official announcement should be at the beginning of next week between 3 and 4 June. We are waiting for everything to be put in black and white also at the level of communication to the press and fans,” he said.
“Fonseca will become head coach for the next three years, because it will be a three-year or two-year contract with an option for a third.
Baiocchini also spoke about Milan’s two priorities on the market in view of next season, something that the incoming manager will obviously have a say in given how important they will be to the way his team players.
“With regards to strategies there are two mercato priorities, that is, a starting striker. For Milan they are different, it is the most difficult choice of Milan’s summer, the most delicate one together with the choice of the coach.
“The contacts have been with the entourages of great attackers from Zirkzee, to Sesko, to David, to Gimenez, we will see which of these Milan will accelerate and push on.”
The journalist also stated that Fonseca’s first request to the club has been to change the type of right-back available, because in his tactical approach both full-backs must be capable going forward.
“The other priority is a right-back. Fonseca wants a player with different characteristics than the one who has been Milan’s right-back in recent years, namely captain Calabria.”
Finally, he reiterated the tactical and human reasons that led the club’s management to go for Fonseca over some of the more glamorous names available like Antonio Conte and Roberto De Zerbi.
“Milan chose Fonseca because he uses a module very system to the one used by Pioli: a 4-2-3-1 is his basic formation with changes along the way, from the classic 4-3-3 to other formations.
“Milan didn’t have to make a big revolution in terms of working methodology, because in any case Fonseca is a great worker during the week and is also humanly a figure close to Pioli in terms of tact and synergy with his group.”