It’s been a disappointing, if not catastrophic, campaign for AC Milan as they currently sit in ninth place in Serie A. The Italian giants are used to competing for titles throughout history, but this season, they’ll do well to qualify for the Champions League.
Although we’ve seen the likes of Tijjani Reijnders, Rafael Leao, and Christian Pulisic perform consistently this term, there’s no doubt the Italian giants need to bring in some reinforcements during the summer transfer window.
Milan can’t afford to have another disastrous season, especially if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, and getting their recruitment right will be key to turning things around.
Change of strategy needed
In recent years, Milan have chosen to take a risky recruitment strategy. The majority of their additions have come from abroad, with a host of them being players whose stocks are low, or ageing stars reaching the latter stages of their careers.
Kyle Walker and Alvaro Morata certainly fit into the ageing stars category, while the likes of Emerson Royal, Tammy Abraham, and Joao Felix are players who haven’t quite lived up to expectations over the last few seasons.
As mentioned, the majority of their signings have also come from abroad, predominantly players who have no prior experience playing in Serie A. It could be time to switch up the recruitment strategy, bringing in new additions from Serie A, while also targeting young, up-and-coming stars with a point to prove.
Every club needs a star striker
Milan’s current striker options have flattered to deceive this season, with their three top scorers being Leao, Reijnders, and Pulisic, players who, although they often play in attacking positions, aren’t natural strikers.
Morata, Luka Jovic, Santiago Gimenez, and Abraham have scored just 12 league goals between them this season, so it could be time for Milan to invest in new star striker. Taking a risk on a young, up-and-coming talent might not be the right strategy if they want to start competing towards the upper echelons of the table.
Milan need a striker who has a proven record of finding goals in Serie A. The likes of Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram, and Mateo Retegui, who have been scoring regularly in the league, are unlikely to make the move to Milan, especially if they are unable to qualify for Champions League football.
Moise Kean could be the ideal striker target. Although he struggled at Juventus last term, he’s been finding the back of the net with ease this season, scoring 23 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions.
The attraction of playing for a club the size of Milan could tempt the 25-year-old, while Fiorentina also have their own troubles in terms of qualifying for European football. Kean could also be the right age profile – experienced enough where he’s starting to hit his prime, but also a player with plenty of time remaining in his career.
Consistent centre-back needed
Chopping and changing at the back has been a real problem for Milan this season. No centre-back has started more than 19 games for the club this season, meaning it’s rare that the Serie A giants have a consistent partnership in defence.
Milan do have options in defence, with the likes of Strahinja Pavlovic, Fikayo Tomori, and Malick Thiaw, they simply need a consistent option who is going to play 95% of games throughout the season.
In order to save funds for other positions, a smart, cost-effective option could be Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen. The German international has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season, with his contract expiring, and at the age of 29, he could provide some much-needed experience in defence.
Tah has started 29 Bundesliga games this term, with only Granit Xhaka managing more for Leverkusen. The 29-year-old is a natural leader at the back, comfortable on the ball, and is, most importantly, consistently available.
Project signing
The final addition. As previously mentioned, looking to add younger talents with high sell-on value with vast potential should be on the agenda for Milan as they look to shift their transfer strategy.
One talent currently coming through in Italy is Saba Goglichidze. Although we’ve already looked to target a centre-back in this article, this player could be a market opportunity that is too good to miss.
At the age of 20, Goglichidze has started a whopping 26 games for Empoli in Serie A this season and is one of the most highly-rated young prospects in the league. It’s been suggested that his idol is former Milan defender Paolo Maldini, while he also made his senior debut for Georgia this season.
Empoli currently find themselves sitting in 19th place in Serie A and face a serious threat of relegation, so there could be an opportunity to snap him up in the summer if he wants to make the move back to Italy’s top tier.
If Empoli are unable to save themselves from relegation and the 20-year-old wants to remain in Italy, Milan should be well in the race as a project signing who could also make an immediate impact.
In summary, it’s an incredibly important summer transfer window approaching for Milan as they look to steer themselves back in the right direction. It’s imperative they get their recruitment right, and the addition of a proven goalscorer at this level is arguably the most crucial signing they can make.
Milan might not be the most attractive prospect right now in terms of their league position and potential Champions League status, but they are still one of the biggest clubs in the world, which should aid them in their efforts to bring in reinforcements.
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