Igli Tare wants Massimiliano Allegri to have a new full-back by the time AC Milan leave for the preseason tour of the far east.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall this morning, in the past, there had been a problem with central defenders, when Milan conceded too many goals. There have been issues with the strikers too, when the team struggled to generate attacking output.
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However, never in recent years – excluding the season just ended – had there been any reported problems with the full-backs. Davide Calabria provided the coverage that Theo Hernandez lacked on the other side, while the Frenchman put up the attacking numbers of a winger.
Today, Milan have exposed flanks, both on the right and left. The club will try to address these issues before the tour to avoid having to come up with emergency solutions for the first friendly opponents, Arsenal and Liverpool, who certainly have dangerous wingers.
Pubill a possibility
The news is that the right-back could arrive soon. Marc Pubill is one of the most concrete targets and Allegri has given the green light for his potential signing, having had the opportunity to appreciate him on video.
Pubill’s career so far has been entirely Spanish: his senior career includes Levante, Almeria, and the youth national teams. What’s more, he is the 2024 Olympic champion thanks to the victory over France in Paris, having started all the knockout rounds (quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final).
In LaLiga, he has made 34 appearances and scored one goal, and in the Segunda Division he has made another 60 appearances with two goals. Considering his age, he has excellent potential yet to be realised and developed, while also offering good technical promise.
He would be a low-risk investment, with a relatively low cost: for €15m, including bonuses, he’s a viable option. His salary is also absolutely sustainable. He fits the profile of a potential AC Milan signing: young, ambitious, and talented. A rough diamond who could become part of the club’s future.
Low risk investment? We’re expecting him to anchor our right side in a UCL qualification targeting season. The transfer cost might not be that high, but the risk is.
Question is, is he that much better than the Italian, homegrown Calabria that we were so desperate to hound out of the club last season?
I agree. Look at how Real handles it. Lucas Vazquez was never a world class player but was useful and didn’t complain to be on the bench. Stayed at Madrid until 34. Milan ditches Calabria, the longest standing team member and then we lack experience. No s**t. He would be a great rotation option for RB, with a young talent we buy.
Bologna didn’t keep Calabria and he is still without a club.
Calabria was only on a paid loan so there might be more to that story like for example the player looking for different opportunities. Not saying he should be a starter for us but defensive wise Id pick him over all of our current options.
You’d pick a 28 year old that can’t find a team as a free agent over a Barcelona, Roma and Juventus linked Marc Pubill? Dude…
If Calabria doesn’t find a team soon, he’ll probably have to retire early.
Thats not at all what I said Goku.
I said I’d pick him over any of our current right backs at least defensively speaking and yes that I fully stand by.
Calabria wont retire soon, come on be serious.
I’d play Saelasmaekers at RB before I’d welcome him back in this team. Calabria is an absolutely awful player right now, and defensively was pitiful for two season.
He has no team. And it remains to be seen if he’ll find one.
Saelemaekers certainly can be used there so I’m not against that idea either but I do think he will be utilized better on the wings but i definitely prefer Calabria compared to Royal or Jimenez defensively speaking.
Calabria will soon find a club and I would be surprised if it isn’t a fairly good team either in Serie A or abroad but of course only time will tell but he wont retire any time soon.
Calabria is getting zero interest from any club with hope to qualify for European places. Dude couldn’t find time at Bologna, he isn’t better than Emerson, in other words he’s been down right bad for two seasons. I was a big time fan and defender of Calabria on this site but game after game of watching him struggle to match even B rated players for pace, lose position and get his ankles broke like drunk at a pick up game and can’t live in denial. Calabria is a bad player, and I’m not convinced he’s a good influence on the team either. He seemed to only make the issues worse last season, fight with the Conceicao looks just as bad on him as it did the coach.
He’s someone that had a good early part of his career, peaked very early on and fell apart later. His decline was rather spectacular.
And I’m willing to bet he’ll retire from playing before he even hits 30.
You and your excellent risk analysis harshing shallow analysis.
Seriously, great point @R. Risk is multi-dimensional and in this case the sporting risk and financial risk are highly correlated.
Wasn’t this guy failed in his medicals to Atalanta last season? How he is going to pass it this year?
It’s been a year?
ah yes… the young Emerson
Jalol your post were very childish
Jalol u can be ill today and recover tommorow
Second division foreigners are whats going to get us out of the hole we are in, yup I’m buying that one……WTF
Yeah that’s why Barca are tracking him, because they also lack ambition
Juventus is linked to Pubill too. As are Roma, and the Wolves. And Barcelona supposedly had an agreement back in March. Many people rate Pubill highly in Spain.
Low risk? A certain Emerson was also low risk acquisiton and now he’s just another bum on payroll who they cannot get rid of.
To your point our typical transfer is below €20m. Not sure how 75% of that is low risk
But Pubill is one helluva prospect. Emerson was Levy with naked pics of Furlani in a gimp suit.
If Calabria is so good, why is he without a club? Lol he might even retire early.
Pubill is wanted by other big teams in Spain. They recognize he is talented.
Fans on here are something else. If he had an Italian name everyone would be excited.
We took in close to 100mil from sales, yet our budget is 25mil for TWO full backs if the reports are to be believed?
And they are believable since Pubill is only 15 mil which leaves us with a 10mil player on the other side? Fantastic! Can’t wait to see what gem of a player we sign!
Yup, we sold Theo for 25mill to fund both fullback spots, unreal
My hope is the lack of info about Bartesaghi is an indication he is the answer on one side.
I’m not convinced he is a full time starter but I am happy to find out if the other side of the line is locked down.
Given Max history is he gonna play a back 3? Are we living through a negotiation tactic.
Playing with wing backs, our roster suddenly looks much better and the big money on a mid and 9 more plausible.
No need unknown foreign soldiers again bro. Milan already have bartesaghi, saladmakers, Alex Jimenez , terraciano & the youngster Vittorio magni. No need transfer budget and low salary.