AC Milan closed the January transfer window with a real shake-up, completing six operations between incomings and outgoings in the last 24 hours of negotiations.
Coach Sergio Conceicao wasted no time and decided to move training to the afternoon today to have the new additions available immediately, with the aim of integrating them quickly in view of the next crucial commitments.
Among the new arrivals, Santiago Gimenez and Joao Felix stand out. The first, a Mexican striker bought from Feyenoord with a contract until 2029, was purchased to replace Alvaro Morata, who was loaned to Galatasaray.
The second, arriving on loan from Chelsea, has signed for the Rossoneri on loan. Conceicao aims to make them debut as soon as possible, perhaps as early as tomorrow night in the match against Roma in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.
How the squad list is impacted
With five new signings (Walker, Gimenez, Joao Felix, Bondo and Sottil) and three Champions League spots available, Milan had to make some choices. According to UEFA regulations, teams can register a maximum of three new players for the knockout phase.
The management have decided to select Walker, Joao Felix and Gimenez at the moment, leaving out Bondo and Sottil. These three will replace Bennacer, Okafor and Morata, who left in the winter market.
For Serie A, the updated squad includes all new signings, with the reinstatement of Emerson Royal, who was left out of the previous January list to make room for Walker in the derby.
With the recent exits, the space needed to bring the Brazilian full-back back into the squad has now been created, even though he is still struggling with a calf injury.
How the team changes
The addition of new players and the subsequent updating of the rosters outline a Milan with more depth and alternatives in every department. In particular, in attack, the arrival of Gimenez and Joao Felix adds quality and versatility, while Walker brings experience to the defence.
As reported by MilanNews among other sources, Bondo and Sottil – although not included in the Champions League list – represent valid signings for Serie A where the commitments will be equally as hectic.
The winter transfer window has given Conceicao new weapons to face the second part of the season and the Portuguese coach’s objective is clear: to make Milan more competitive and ready to fight on all fronts.
How might the team look? Obviously it starts with Mike Maignan in goal and a defence made up of Walker on the right and Theo Hernandez on the left. Fikayo Tomori and Strahinja Pavlovic – who both said no to exits – have been identified at present by Conceicao as the best centre-back duo.

In midfield, things are not expected to change with Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders keeping their spot. The real change will be seen in the attacking midfield with Joao Felix ready to take up the No.10 role in Conceicao’s new 4-2-3-1.
The Portuguese would be flanked by his compatriot Rafael Leao on the left and then Christian Pulisic on the right, while Santiago Gimenez will play as the lone striker up front.
It would also be right to talk about a 4-4-2 system, or even more correctly a 4-4-1-1. The man of change from a tactical point of view will be Joao Felix, who can be used as a second striker too alongside Gimenez.
The Portuguese will have the task of adding quality up front, often swapping positions with Rafael Leao, both wide on the left and as a second striker. Conceicao is therefore working to build an unscrupulous Milan that must find some balance too.
We’re more Inter than Inter.
If we were like inter it would have just been free transfers
And Italians
Still free transfers
Still Scudetto and CL contenders
@Ted, ouch.
This is foreign cardinale milan. Why choose italian when you can get foreigner.
Some people will never be happy. This was a great winter window that addressed a lot of problems.
Name one REALISTIC Italian player who would have been a better addition.
ozbiljan tim i ozbiljna priča
Thanks to international owner.
Whatever happens, i think finally they did what they had to do. With the budget they had. Thank you IBRA….
We will need Bondo in the champions league
Leg’s in midfield
I would rather they gave Bondo’s name for Felix for champions league
I’m excited about Bondo and Felix’s arrival because it means Milan gets Reijnders and Fofana also. Those two have been worn into the ground this season, and it’s only going to get more intense. 40% strength Reijnders is not a very good player. 40% strength Fofana is not very good either. But Reijnders at 80% because he gets some rest is a very good player. Ditto with Fofana.
He has been shouting he wants Felix. Now he has him.
From attacking Portuguese to Portuguese coach.
Let’s see how this makes us the Milan of our glory days or the chickens of today.
Correct.You see it…👏🏻👏🏻
So am I right in saying that we now have 1 less midfielder for the CL? Plus Zerolli who was on the youth list
Just want to clarify because I thought our lack of depth in midfield was the main problem and now we have a player less
So CL midfielders are
Fofana, Tiji, Musah and RLC.
Given how poorly a 4 man attack has been for us it is inevitable we will play 3 especially against the better teams. So prob Fofana, Tiji, Musah with no replacements bar an injured RLC
I’m inclined to think that we will use the 4-4-2 from now on. Conceição almost exclusively used that formation when he coached Porto and he made it no secret that he wants to revert back to it when it will be possible. Aside from Loftus-Cheek who is currently injured, we have 1 midfielder who is only good at attacking, 2 midfielders who can defend and 1 headless chicken, that’s very shallow for a 3 men midfield but at least we have the numbers to rotate for a 2 men midfield (although I don’t know how we will handle the UCL).
Sottil might be Leão’s deputy, Chukwueze is Pulisic’s deputy and we have Félix, Giménez, Abraham and Camarda for the attack, so that screams 4-4-2 in my opinion.
The issue is that in a 4-4-2, since we have one less midfielder, both are essentially required to be good defensively and offensively. Fofana isn’t great offensively and Reijnders sucks defensively. Also there will be more pressure on both wings to defend well, Pulisic and Walker should be able to handle theirs but on the other side you have Leão and Théo, not very reassuring.
on that 4-4-2 , He will be asking more defensive duties from Leao and Pulisic. OR ask walker and Theo not to push forward as much.
That’s the thing,, Leao can’t play in the 4 man midfield of Conceicaos aggressive 442. I think we’ll struggle to fit these guys until Felix goes RW, Leao LW, and Puli who can defend better and more tactical at AM, in a 4231 formation.
Yes, but that list of CL midfielders now shouldn’t have to play every 3 days. Because the games in Serie A / Coppa Italia can use the new midfielders. So they can be somewhat fresh for the CL games.
Well if everyother team in the CL have more midfielders than we’re at an disadvantage no matter how good you rotate in the domestic league.
442 is better. Twin strike force is the way. Milan have been playing the wrong formation ever since tonali n kessie left
Management has really tried. Kudos! Over to you now Conceicao. Good luck
Musah pushed up to take Bennacer spot…
Maignan
Walker Theo Pavlo Fik
Musah Fofana Reijnders
Pulisic Leao
Gimenez
People complaining about us not bringing enough Italians. There happens to be an issue with a lack of quality. And I see Milan is aiming for Ricci in the summer, and there wasn’t enough time during the winter. We did bring Sottil, who should be a useful utility player.
But still beyond Ricci, what other Italians would you want us to sign?
For the record, Musah has an Italian passport and speaks fluent Italian.
I understand that, but I was speaking of new signings.
Santi also has italian passport…
Italian isn’t a cultural preference for many of us. Rather it has to do with roster rules.
Italian – in this case – means a player who has trained in Italy for 3 or more years before the age of 22.
This can be a bit confusing because a Dutch kid could fit that description but we use “Italian” as the shorthand.
Right now we are three senior players short on the UCL list because we don’t have such “Italians”
Beyond the mechanics of squad construction, Milan has typically been a majority Italian (in the true sense) players with a few foreigners sprinkled in (over generalization, but the idea is right). Today we could start Gabbia in any given game but the rest would be foreigners. This really bugs some fans.
I suspect I have a detail or two wrong so please correct me.
I should also point out that Musah was born in the US but raised in Italy to Ghana (IIRC) parents. Thus the Italian passport.
He came through Arsenal the Spain as a kid. So he is not “Italian” in the squad list meaning.
Goku ignore the not enough Italians bs. The irony is lost on them that they are complaining about a lack of Italians on a club founded by an Englishman, who the majority of great players are foreigners and most of all on an English language news site. For gods sakes. Great clubs are international, provincial clubs are made up of Italians.
I am all for quality regardless of nationally. Ricci looks really good. But we always need to focus on quality.
Also Gimenez has an Italian passport
I am talking about future signings other than Ricci. Gimenez having an Italian passport notwithstanding. But future signings.
Since when is it ok for players to keep questioning the coach’s decisions. What happened to showing your worth on the field week in and week out.
Let your feet talk – not your mouth. I fully support Conceicao’s methods and if its true that Pulisic is salty? Grow a pair bro!!!
Ever since I heard Pulisic was a possible Maga, no wonder he’s so thin skinned lol
I don’t believe the articles on this. One outlet started a rumor giving zero evidence about its source. Then other media sheep reprinted it. Where’s the evidence?
Love the front four attacking unit – they should mesh well. All are fast, creative, aggressive. A great group on the counter.
We’re thin at dm as others have said. Musah for all his red challenges this past week plays a 6/destroyer for the US when Adams is out, he will probably see time there for the Rossoneri.
Walker has already raised the back line’s game. Maybe Theo will be inspired to slip and fall less and play less like a matador and more like an engaged defender.
The big question is can these attackers break down smaller teams ? Because there is no point beating the bigger teams and lose or draw with smaller teams who made about 80 percent of all the teams .
Good question 👍
Yea, but will they track back in transition and press?
Leao Tiji and Theo won’t do it consistently. They lack the necessary off ball intensity that’s required to see Conceicaos Porto football.
And Felix also isn’t really big on defending.
I see ppl falling for the same thing again….lots of action in the market doesn’t mean we’re better. We have one clear upgrade and the rest are hope and potential as per usual, it can go either way. Can’t pull that wool over my eyes. We’ve seen this movie before
You’re blood pressure must be s***
Yeah bro, Difficult concept here. We sign players. Other clubs sign players. Signings work out to varying degrees or not. That’s what happens when you sign players.
I suppose you prefer us not signing anyone else or being constantly negative everyday…
Speak of ppl falling for the same thing and tweedle dee and tweedle dum shows up. You guys always show up in the transfer windows and when things go to sh!t like it was after the summer window you’re never to be seen. Again, it’s the same movie and I’ve seen it before. All these other commenters show up out of the woodwork all of a sudden but never there when we fall to 8th or get dumped out of UCL competition like last year. Redbird lives fans like you, just dangle a few shiny toys and keep the fanbase appeased.
PS never said I was against signings. If you can read properly its the quality swap I have an issue with. Apart from RB we haven’t objectively upgraded. Signings are part of football but what does it say when players from only a few months ago and part of the “best transfer window in a decade” are the ones we’re already looking to sell on? That’s poor recruitment and the same people who messed up in the first place is now in charge of getting it right. Sorry bro, don’t have the same type of optimism as you
You forgot mike drop 🔥
You are not the only one that understands football….You may think you are,but I have bad news for you….Some of us knew that Loftus A$$ Cheek is worthless….Some of us had our doubts about Morata,because we saw his ineffectiveness this past summer playing for Spain. Finally,some of us knew that Fonseca will be about as successful as an ice cube surviving in hell…
The rest??? Casualties of a new coach and new system. Let’s just say that the signings of this mercato are much more promising than the ones from this past summer.
Man how are they going to prioritize these fixtures though? We’re all-in on the Coppa Italia. We have two extra UCL games that are must-wins. We can’t afford to drop any more points in the league. Every fixture seems vital right now, when do you rotate the squad?
Walker-Tomori-Pavlovic-Theo
Fofana
Pulisic-Felix-Reinder-Leao
Gimenez
betterstil
Walker-Thiaw-Pavlovic-Theo
Fofana(df)-Reinders(Roam)
Pulisic-Felix-Leao
Gimenez
I think Kyle Walker at right back makes us much better. I’m not convinced we actually got better anywhere else on the pitch. Felix is easy on the eyes until you watch him a little longer and realize his decision-making is terrible. At least that has been my impression. He needs to start off passing the ball well and helping the attack tick, something he really hasn’t done.
My prediction: The defense gets better with Walker back there to help direct things. The offense gets worse, less organized as players struggle to get things figured out. I can’t see them not playing Gimenez and Felix, but I can’t see those two plus Leao and Pulisic being very successful. I expect the attack to be more crowded and more disgruntled and less successful.
Exactly!
Have a feeling Felix will do good in Serie A, It being more tactical there will be more time on the ball which i think suit him better, but will have to see
It’s frustrating that UEFA have this 3 changes only to the list rule.
Our UCL list has lost:
Morata
Okafor
Bennacer
Calabria
+ list b
Zeroli
Of the names remaining we have major injuries and/or perpetual injuries
Royal
Florenzi
RLC
And we top up just 3 players from:
Gimenez
Walker
Felix
Bondo
Sottil
Or some others we already had that were not on the list:
Jovic
Jimenez
Walker is a must include.
I’d argue that we have enough attacking players and that Bondo should be included instead of either Gimenez or Felix.
Our list b can be continually altered. Now without Zeroli, I don’t see many midfield options to include from the Futuro/Primavera
There are players Camarda, Torriani (needed as 3rd GK), Liberali, Bartesaghi.
Not seeing many eligible names to be reserve midfield.
At this stage of CL we are in trouble if we are playing youth team players in midfield.
I think Eletu is due a chance with the 1st team, he seems to have it all, just needs to develop physically
Agree we are very thin for UCL. It’s not sustainable with suspension and further injuries likely.
It is a shame that Jimenez is not eligible for list b. That would help with his flexibility and quality. I think he will be eligible from next season for list b (assuming he isn’t them too old – not sure his exact age).
Oh yeah forgot he is out too. Bummer