The handling of Yacine Adli continues to be a mystery as he is struggling for playing time and did not get a single minute in the last game against Empoli.
Calciomercato.com recall how Pioli made five changes to the starting line-up compared to the team that beat Napoli, but the Franco-Algerian midfielder did not start or even come off the bench in what ended up being a 1-1 draw.
Adli was signed from Bordeaux in the summer of 2021 for a sum of around €10m and was left there on loan for a season before arriving in Italy. However, he has so far accumulated only 114 minutes in the league, divided into four games (Verona, Napoli, Sassuolo and Bologna).
Pioli sees him only as an attacking midfielder and not as a box-to-box player or even a deep-lying midfielder, but it seems that both Brahim Diaz and Charles De Ketelaere are ahead in the pecking order as are Rade Krunic or Ismael Bennacer being adapted into the role.
These are signs that are not encouraging for Adli’s future and which now look like an almost definitive verdict that Stefano Pioli does not trust him. Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara have tried to protect Adli this season, confirming their trust by keeping him in the January transfer market as well, but now the situation hasn’t changed.
It seems that a loan deal is now likely for next season because on the one hand the 22-year-old needs to get back to playing consistently, while on the other Milan could hardly get a return on the investment they made.
Pioli 🤡
Pioli is trying to maintain consistency in the starting line ups.
We have a squad of 30 players – THIRTY. We have nearly 3 players for every position not just 2. It’s ridiculous.
Man City have a squad of 23.
Why do Italian squads need to be so big?
This is on Maldini. Instead of endlessly signing players he should’ve just focused on key signings like what happened when he was playing for Milan.
If Maldini had been in charge in 1980s he’d probably never have gotten a chance and would’ve been loaned out like he’s own son.
It’s just a massive shame for everyone involved. Milan never needed him. We have Brahim and De Ketelaere, and the latter is struggling for playing time as it is.
He should never have left Bordeaux or else should’ve at least gone to a club with one AM.
This is why we need to limit squad sizes and transfers. There is so much wasted talent languishing on benches or being shipped around. It’s destroying the game.
Another bad recruitment by Maldini and Massara. Redbird needs to find someone competent to take over from Maldini and Massara.
They wasted 10m on Adli and the another 35m on CDK. That’s 45m of our transfer budget that could have been spent on getting a replacement for Kessie like Amrabat.
Also signing Origi and giving him 4m per season is beyond ridiculous given that he wasn’t even a starter at Liverpool.
We need someone capable of making better recruitments to get the most out of the limited budget we have to spend.
This is unacceptable and it goes to show that Maldini and Massara cannot be trusted with a small budget let alone a big budget to get the right players.
Dybala would have been a better option than CDK and he would have lowered his salary to come to Milan because were are Serie A champions and we are playing in the Champions League.
That 35m for CDK and 10m for Adli could have been better used elsewhere. Smh
maldini isn’t my foot ,the won who built the team that won us scuddetto last season on the other can you tell me which Napoli won there last scudetto amount they have invested like signing osimhen 70m only you re complain about 45m wasted we re at the quarter final in champions league isn’t like we re far behind in top four race we need reinforcement truly appreciate the work of m&m instead seeing negativity
OPEN YOUR AND SEE THE POSITIVITY ALSO HMM
Milan are still ahead of where anyone expected them to be.
You might have won the treble in Football Manager but real life is harder. The main problem with Maldini & Co is the same problem with most Italian clubs and modern football: too many transfers and too big squad sizes.
Well we are stuck with players who aren’t really part of the plan and we tried to get rid of like We have 4 keepers 2 which are basically not part of the squad this season, Bakayoko which aren’t part of the squad Ballo-Toare which we tried to get rid of. Zlatan have basically been injured for two seasons. remove these players from sight and our squad size aren’t that bad.
The problem we got is that the coach wants to focus on experience, hierarchy etc while the club wants to focus on youth. We wont get far like this, players such as adli and Vrancks will never break through with a slim 100 min a season of game time. And we wont spend our entire transfer window to replace one player. So here we are
“ Pioli sees him only as an attacking midfielder and not as a box-to-box player or even a deep-lying midfielder,…” – then it would make sense to give him the opportunity in that role, see what he can do. He was given one game in that role and was ok, made a few mistakes but that is normal. But how many games has CDK or even Diaz for that matter even given in the ACM role and struggled? It’s not as if we have a definitive starter in that position anyways. Before we loan him out I would hope that Pioli gives him a few more opportunities even if off the bench to see if he can handle the creative playmaking role – as I believe if given time he can. He has great vision and playmaking ability. Would hate to loan him out with an option to buy and lose him for Pennie’s on the dollar. But knowing our history seems that is what will happen. He’s young and we need to have patience. I don’t think it’s reasonable to say after only 114 minutes of game time that he’s garbage. If that is the criteria then surely CDK is no better lol. If we do loan him out I hope it’s a dry loan with no option.
Seeing Adli ONLY as an attacking center mid is a mistake. He is very good one v one – a dribbler not just one that outpaces you – he is creative and can provide great service from the wide channel. Unlike Salamaekers who has one highlight from his Milan days. The goal against Napoli last weekend.
Giving Adli only 114 minutes is ridiculous.
While he was at Bordeaux, he was one of the better passers as an attacking mid in Europe but also the absolute worst receiver of the ball in the attacking phase in the entire Europe too. So maybe there’s that