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Posted by: Rossoneri7 Dec 16 2021, 10:36 PM

Rumors have been circulating about several transfer targets:

Priority: a CB to replace Kjaer.
Subsequent: a Diaz alternative, either bring back Adli or sign Faiver from Brest.

In any case, both positions are a must IMO, Milan lacks an outlet to create upfront and lacks solidity in defense. Though Kjaer is good enough for the next three years, his injury and Romagnoli?s renewal saga prompts Milan to look elsewhere in urgency. While upfront, more than a striker Milan needs a a pace maker someone who can create chances for the forwards.

Think this window will make or break Milan?s season and my favorite for this winter are both Adli and Rudiger.

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Dec 17 2021, 09:56 PM

Not a fan of winter transfers but Kessie seems destined to be on his way out to either PSG or an EPL club (Tottenham have been rumored).

If Milan manages to sell Kessie and Castelejo then a nice sum would allow to fund for a good AM and CB, I would think.

Ps Conti should be released of his contract, not worth the wait here.

Posted by: han2503 Dec 18 2021, 03:24 PM

Can't see us managing to sell Kessie in January

Rudiger is most likely on his way to Real next summer as a free agent. We're being heavily linked to Botman from Lille

Posted by: X-Offender Dec 18 2021, 03:57 PM

Botman would be a dream. He's very highly rated, and I like what I've seen from him on YouTube. Very physical but also fast, which cannot be said for Kjaer and Romagnoli who are rarther slow players.

But I don't see Lille selling him in January when they have the CL and especially I don't see us forking 25-30 million in January for a CB.

Posted by: han2503 Dec 18 2021, 09:40 PM

I think we'd be willing to pay that if we believe in him enough

Past deals have shown us that if the management value a player to be worth that money, they will pay it. It's what we did with Leao, with Tomori and with Tonali

Posted by: X-Offender Dec 18 2021, 10:40 PM

Tomori, Tonali and Leao were signed in the summer. It's different from a financial reporting perspective.

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Dec 20 2021, 11:04 PM

After Kessie?s showing against Napoli, id definitely work on selling him. The man?s head isn?t 100% focused on Milan, its clear he has doubts.

I hope Maldini/Massara are working diligently to offload him. He was a reference point (and still is for this team, but) lost all the goodwill he had carried forward from last season.

His mistakes with Milan are very clear, at times I thought he was in favor of Napoli?s win. Also in the CL, his head is definitely not here.


Wherever he goes, he will undoubtedly be a top player. But considering the circumstances, its not working out.


I would love Sanches from Lille as a replacement.

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Dec 24 2021, 12:41 PM

Kamara is on the market this January (his contract expires in June and is not willing to renew).

Not sure if Kessie will depart this January, but Kamara can play as CB and so does seem like the best choice abailable considering Kjaer?s injury and Kessie unwilling to budge from his astronomical demands.

Posted by: X-Offender Dec 24 2021, 01:56 PM

Kamara would be great. I don't why we're not pursuing him any further. The press hasn't been linking us with him anymore.

Posted by: X-Offender Dec 26 2021, 02:26 PM

One player I think we should sign ASAP IMO is Davide Frattesi of Sassuolo. Has anyone been following him this season? The kid is destined to become a great. The sheer class and quality are too evident. If we don't sign him now he'll end up costing 40M like Barella when Cagliari sold him to Inter.

Anyway, as far as rumors for January go:

The main target remains Botman of Lille. The club wants a loan with right of purchase, but I see no reason why Lille would accept such a foolish deal especially since they've got the CL to play in February. They value him at 30M. (Fiorentina just signed Jonathan Ikone from them for a total of 22M).

Cairo said the chances of Bremer leaving are nil.

Conti and Castillejo are destined to leave. Conti might sign for Empoli. Genoa are interested in Castillejo, though he would prefer a return in Spain.

I've also read the names of Beto (Udinese) and Kolo Mauni (Nantes) for the CF position. Beto is a very interesting prospect. Kolo Mauni I have no info about, but his overall stats are terrible.

Posted by: Fillipo Simone Jan 6 2022, 07:33 PM

What I don't get is why we are so hot for Botman or a serious CB now. Because even with Kjaer out we have still Romag, Tomori and the solid Kalulu plus Gabbia (utter garbage). I'd rather spend bigger elsewhere and sign a filler player for CB then splash money on Botman and sign improvised offensive options.

Also, when Kjaer returns, that would mean we would have 4 good or very good CB's fighting for just 2 starting spots. I mean it's a good situation but something teams like City or Chelsea can afford.

Posted by: X-Offender Jan 6 2022, 09:11 PM

Maybe Romagnoli won't renew, maybe Kjaer won't return at high levels anymore (his injury is very serious, plus he'll be 33 in a couple of months). Botman would be a top signing and having him and Tomori would secure our CB pairing for the next 10 years (unless we sell them for some crazy money).

Anyway, Maldini said today before the match that Botman is good but there are other good defenders out there. The newspapers also reported that Elliott has given the green light for his signing. So we'll just wait and see.

For the attack, if we don't have any injuries, and with only the league to play at this point, the players we have could be sufficient. I say 'could', because I still think we need a quality RW and a quality CF. But I guess that's going to be an argument for the summer.

Posted by: Fillipo Simone Jan 6 2022, 09:38 PM

We need another creator. Diaz won't suffice. Today he had a good game, but he's not sufficient.

Also, Florenzi is a very good signing. He's impressed me at right fullback. He's probably more balanced then Calabria.

Posted by: han2503 Jan 11 2022, 05:24 PM

My point there was that the club is not so cheap when they believe in a player. If they think he's worth the asking price, they will pay it. January/Summer doesn't matter in this regard


Florenzi has slowly worked his way into this team. I still prefer Calabria for the RB as starter. But Florenzi is an excellent option to have. Plus he's versatile so can help out in multiple positions


And I agree re your point about signing a filler CB and putting the budget towards a creative attacker

Posted by: Fillipo Simone Jan 17 2022, 07:25 PM

And we're doing the summer mercato all over again.

Taking ages to make a move, losing important time on unrealistic targets (financially), not being able to secure players with contract extensions either. Unbelievable.

Posted by: X-Offender Jan 17 2022, 07:29 PM

It's embarrassing and offensive to the fans. To have such an emergency and on 17 January still with nothing...

Posted by: X-Offender Jan 30 2022, 01:24 PM

According to Gazzetta, we're trying to sign last minute Ndombele and Alli from Spurs.

This is proof that journalist have no fucking idea what they're writing anymore, because any journalist worth two cents should know that with Lazetic's signing we have no more non-EU spots available, and Dele Ali, lo and behold, is non-EU.

Posted by: Fillipo Simone Jan 30 2022, 06:45 PM

He is? How?

Posted by: X-Offender Jan 30 2022, 08:55 PM

Brexit?

Posted by: Fillipo Simone Jan 30 2022, 10:01 PM

Oh, hell... yes...

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Jan 31 2022, 07:25 AM

January 31st, back in the day this is when a Mr. X would be unveiled Back in the day

Today is that same day, and I am gutted that no defensive reinforcement had come in ... Is it because Milan don't have European commitments? Hence a Kalulu/Tomori - Romagnoli pairing suffices? Maybe it is because the club had lined up an alternative to Ronagnoli for the summer, and have budgeted for that accordingly?

The only move the club made was for a young striker, maybe the team does need that. But I feel an AM/RW is the type of player Milan need. Then again, the club's cashflow has not been regular with stadium closures ongoing and the future outlook for stadiums looks uncertain, as such could it be the club can not afford to onboard someone midway through the season? Sustainably, I doubt the club can afford.

Posted by: CrazyMilanFan Jan 31 2022, 07:35 AM

forget buying players, we cannot even sell players I mean two consecutive windows and we couldn't sell samu.

Posted by: X-Offender Jan 31 2022, 12:44 PM

Because nobody wants to spend money on a useless player like him. Another signing of Leonardo that proved to be a complete failure.

This signing window was a complete disappointment but we all saw it coming. What makes it annoying though is that we saw others make great deals and strengthen their squads while we just stood watching.

That being said, if not spending now means a bigger budget in the summer then I am OK with it.

Posted by: Fillipo Simone Jan 31 2022, 07:17 PM

I think it means just that.

Yet I am very pessimistic because the same patterns happen over and over again.

We're very slow in the market, taking time and time while everything should have been prepared earlier. Losing Donnarumma, Calhanoglou and now Kessie and Romagnoli for free is unprecedented. I can't remember a big team losing so many key players or starters in two consecutive rows for free.

Contract negotiations are being dragged for months. Pioli is a genius for creating a good team atmosphere, because frankly without him, this team would have been in shambles. Players are being tired with relentless contract negotiations and stingy budgetary projections. I see less and less players talk with positive zest or real optimism towards Milan and the future.

Ibrahimovic will probably be let go. I know many of you here don't think he's up to it anymore and that his constant injuries mean his body is giving up on him, but if we lose him we lose immensely much in team spirit. And there's always a few extras like against Roma that only he can pull out. Even at an advanced age, he's mentally and in terms of talent a WC player we simply cannot replace with just another quick or strong hotshot youngster.

The stadium question is being dragged as well and seems to be happening later rather then sooner.

All this makes me think we're heading in the wrong direction.

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Jan 31 2022, 08:32 PM

Pippo, Zlatan is more than a player for Milan. He is a reference point, a leader and a player/coach ? since his arrival Milan was able to claw back lost ground up the table to finish in CL territory. It seems very likely he will retire after this season, as his body cant take it anymore, but I hope he sticks around in a different capacity to instill the same spirit you were referring to.

With regards to letting players/first-teamers contracts expire, it is most likely to do with the clubs budget ? it is leas painful on the finances to let them leave than sign them on a big contract. It would be better if Milan sells them all for profit, but that is not the case. I.e. keeping Kessie on his existing contract till maturity is cheaper than renewing it at a higher fee, likewise for Cala and Donna.

Scaroni (the clubs president) stated that this is the model of the club now, whereby relieving Maldini and Massara of any blame on this regard. Now is this the way forward? How is the club going to convince Botman, Sanchez or whomever they plan on bringing, then that will be a question for the summer.

But it is essential to keep Zlatan, even in a different capacity, as his presence in the locker room and around the training ground is worth every cent of his contract.

Posted by: X-Offender Jan 31 2022, 10:33 PM

That really depends on what the "direction" is. If you tell me it's to become title winners again with this current ownership, then definitely we're headed into the wrong direction. But if it's to build a sufficiently competitive team to stay in the top spots for n-consecutive years with controlled spending while looking for a buyer, then I think management is mostly doing a good job.

The Bosman losses are definitely a blow, but when you realise that Elliott has set a specific salary cap, then what can Maldini do? He's simply following company policy. Like I said in a previous post, one-off items of expenditure (like gains from player sales) become irrelevant when there's a business acquisition. Surely, a fresh injection of cash from said sales would benefit everyone, but liquidity is not a main concern right now as is containing expenses. You get what I mean?

Anyway, this is just conjecture from my part. It could very well be that we're being poorly managed and everything will go down the shitter sooner or later. The only thing I'm certain of is that Elliott doesn't care about this club, they only care about making a profit.

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 1 2022, 10:30 PM

Rumors that we've set the objective of signing Botman and Renato Sanches in the summer to replace Romagnoli and Kessie. There are advanced talks with their respective agents but no negotiations have been initiated with Lille yet. The idea is to reach an agreement before June, kind of like with Maignan.

It kinda sucks that most of our budget will be spent to replace two departing players for which we'll be getting nothing in return. I'm mostly worried that once again we'll neglect our attack, which is in dire conditions.

Posted by: han2503 Feb 8 2022, 10:13 PM

Very true

But both Sanches and Botman are theoretically upgrades on the departing players

I still think we should just renew Romagoli's contract. 3.5m is a fair ask imo. Botman is a good player but Romagnoli has been a good servant to this club and given consistency, he will perform at a high level. Plus, as you said, that frees up the 30m we're supposedly putting away for Botman to be spent on the attack

Let's not forget we also have Adli already wrapped up for next season so he'll be coming in as well. Not to mention Pobega.

Ideally we send back Bakayoko and sell Krunic. Having a midfield of Bennacer, Tonali, Pobega, Sanches and Adli imo would be an improvement on our current roster, much more versatile as well.

For the attack, We just have to finally solve the RW issue imo. For the AM position I'm slightly on the fence and all indications I've seen ragrding Adli is that he plays that position as well as CM so AM might not be a priority for the management at that point. But RW and CF have to be addressed this summer for sure

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 8 2022, 11:10 PM

Adli plays primarily AM at Bordeaux, but in his current system Pioli demands an AM that attacks the area very often (Brahim). Adli is more of a playmaker.

If we indeed do get Sanches, I'd be for switching to a 4-3-3 with Bennacer-Tonali-Sanches in the starting midfield, and the various Adli, Pobega, Brahim etc. on the bench. Brahim might be utilised when we need an extra offensive push in the second half. After all, he's usually devastating when he comes off the bench.

Posted by: Fillipo Simone Feb 9 2022, 09:10 AM

Why are you all so sold on Sanches?

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 9 2022, 11:18 AM

Because he's good, very good. I don't care if he's failed previously, or if it's just the French league. My only problem is related to his physical condition. He gets injured way too easily and frequently, and that's the kind of player we should avoid at all cost. So, I'm still on the fence.

Posted by: William405 Feb 10 2022, 03:06 PM

Theo will sign an extension soon..

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 10 2022, 05:17 PM

Botman's agent was also present at San Siro last night, and today he met with Maldini.

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 10 2022, 07:43 PM

Theo's new salary will be 4.5M plus bonuses. Official announcement should come tomorrow.

Bennacer will follow after, new salary will be 3.2M (double of what he currently earns). We'll also remove the 50M release clause on his contract.

Leao will be the last to renew.

It makes me wonder, does Kessie with his 8M demand really think he's so much better than Theo, Bennacer and Leao? Because not only he's a far worse player, but asking for such a foolish amount almost sounds like an excuse and he just wants to leave.

And to be honest I'm very glad he will leave. His performances have been garbage this season. As Han said in an earlier post, he's had 1 good season out of 5. That doesn't make you a top player, and it certainly doesn't make you a starter for a scudetto challenging team. Fu*ck this guy.

Posted by: han2503 Feb 10 2022, 10:01 PM

I really don't think we'll switch the formation. The double pivot system works for us, especially with the players we have. Adli is seemingly a playmaker, but he can either play in the AM position or in the double pivot according to what I've read about him he's played both position, although you are correct that he's primarily playing as an AM this season

Sanches is also a very versatile player. He can play the double pivot or he can play in that AM position.

Obviously all these guys will interpret the role differently. Sanches imo is mostly box-to-box and while it would probably suit him more to switch to a 4-3-3. Bennacer and Tonali are currently our best mids and are thriving in this system, especially Bennacer who really struggled in his first few months with us playing in a 3-man midfield

We'll see, but potentially having a midfield line-up of Bennacer, Tonali, Sanches, Pobega and Adli is very exciting to me.


Because he's a top quality player. He's been immense at Lille, he literally toyed with our midfield last season at San Siro. He made the step up too early, now he's ready. You can't hold that over his head indefinitely. He'd bring in quality and versatility to our midfield as well and would be a step up on Kessie


His injury issues the only worry for me as well

We could always be conservative and try to seal a deal for Kamara (depending on whether some EPL side wants him of course). But Sanches is a far more exciting option imo


Great work to lock in all these players on long-term deals and for very reasonable salaries as well

Kessie just strikes me odd. I read that he doesn't even have any offers better than Milan's atm. Which makes no sense.


I'm over Kessie, but he'll be another regret of not getting a transfer fee for him, not to mention there's the possibility of him doing a Hakan and going to Inter or Juve, which would be a new level of snake worse than Hakan considering all the BS he spouted while at the Olympics

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 10 2022, 11:03 PM

Apparently Barca were interested, but then back out due to his salary demands.

Posted by: William405 Feb 11 2022, 04:54 AM

I'll quote you on this one:

"Kessie is simply making a fool of himself at this point. The whole world is watching and I'm enjoying it. Serve the prick right."



His relationship with us is over imo. This management deals with things quite strictly. I bet the replacement is probably in the works. I just hope we will be able to get some money going in, I feel Maldini can do so much with some more input.

Posted by: CrazyMilanFan Feb 11 2022, 05:19 PM

Theo's announcement is official finaly we have extended a contract for a change

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 11 2022, 06:54 PM

Wait, so we CAN renew contracts!

Posted by: han2503 Feb 11 2022, 08:41 PM

Well, all jokes aide, we renewed Calabria, Alexis, Pioli and a few others in recent months

Bennacer and Leao are next with Nicolo Schira who is pretty reliable saying Benna's is done and Leao's is almost there as well

I don't think it's a coincidence though that we've basically purged all the players who were brought in under previous managements in less than 3 years. These renewal will be a clear sign of where this management want to got with their project.

Once again, Only regret here is that we're about to purge a total of around 150m worth of transfer fees for absolutely nothing. Which is a big shame. Because that kind of money in Paolo's hands would have taken us very far

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 11 2022, 09:15 PM

Indeed. We should have applied the policy that if you don't renew at least one year before expiry then you're automatically on the market. Kessie should have been sold this summer. With all the English clubs interested in him, we could have easily gotten, what, 20-25M? And we could have spent that money directly for Sanches.

Still can't get over his Olympics statements.

I mean, WTF?!

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Feb 12 2022, 03:24 PM

Think its the bigger picture here, renewals that fit within the budgets will be tendered. Those who demand something astronomical to the club?s economic capacity will not be entertained (as it will become a snowball which will engulf more players demanding the same). Imagine if Milan had caved in to Dollarumma and Kessie, do you honestly think Theo would accept the contract terms he had just signed?

The bigger picture here is of a sustainable Milan, and I like the approach the management is taking. Zlatan is not the exception to the rule, but what he brought in was not just a kick of the ball or goals, what he brought in was a team spirit and dedication in training. So that said, if you are able to offer more than what is within your job description to the club and the team then you will be valued differently.

This new Milan taking shape has no room for those like Cala, Dollar, Kessie and to an extent Romag.

Posted by: han2503 Feb 12 2022, 10:49 PM

I agree there. We can't just give in to all the demands, even though we were going to give Donna 8m (!!) which thinking back on it now with Maignan playing for just a fraction of that, would have made that a terrible deal. Donna might be a generational goalkeeper, but no keeper is worth that kind of money. Especially not for us when that can fund 2 important renewals for outfield players

The Chalanogu situation was different imo. The difference between what we were offering and what Inter eventually gave him was apparently less than 1m. Hakan felt like he was not wanted by the club, he was abused on social media by our fans on a daily basis as well, basically for the entire time he was with us. I personally can't stand him, but I think management were just not that into him either so didn't make any extra efforts.

With Kessie we know the management have been willing to go over what they are offering the others. But he's being a prick and I'm sure him an his agent smell sign on bonuses and commissions coming their way as well. The rumours now linking him to Barca make absolutely no sense. He's just spent 5 years in re-build limbo and is willing to go to another similar situation, just when we're really starting to get out of said limbo. Just a dumb move all around as he doesn't really suit their style either

For Romagnoli. Again, I think this is another situation similar to Hakan. I think the management are just not making the extra effort with him. They've put the 2.8m on the table and they've basically tagged on a take it or leave it notice. Fassone and Mirabelli obviously made a fatal error with his contract, basically just like with everything else they did. He has not really performed up to the standard of a 6m per year player either for a while now. And with rumours about Botman being as they are, he's mostly being pushed out rather than the other way around as he's willing to take a cut, just not that big a cut

Posted by: X-Offender Feb 18 2022, 12:43 PM

I read Milan-related articles very often with regards to our summer objectives, but nobody, and I mean nobody ever mentions any RW names. It's like that area of the pitch is completely forgotten by everyone: management, journalists, even fans. Am I the only nutcase who thinks we CANNOT be competitive with Saelemaekers and Messias in such a fundamental position?

Everyone is obssesing about Botman, Renato Sanches and the eventual new CF, but man it irks me to no end how we're never linked to a RW!

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 2 2022, 05:15 PM

Posted by: han2503 Mar 7 2022, 08:17 PM

I'm more excited about the potential Sanches signing. Botman will be a great addition, but with the rise of Kalulu and Kjaer coming back, the CB position is not that pressing. Sanches will take our midfield to the next level imo.

We can use him in the AM position rather than a Kessie replacement, Bennacer, Tonali, Pobega, Adli and Yoko will be enough in the holding role with Sanches dropping in as needed. Also, I wouldn't discount the possibility of going for a flat 3 mindfield if we get him as x-off so rightly pointed out a few weeks ago. I was against it, but it was basically how we lined up against Napoli and I thought it allowed us to really control the game better. Plus with such concentration of quality being in the midfield area it would make sense to play 3 mids rather than 4 attackers when we only really have Leao as an outlet at this point.

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 7 2022, 09:10 PM

Took me a while to figure out who this mysterious Yoko is.

Last I read he'll be sent back to Chelsea in the summer one year early.

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Mar 8 2022, 09:59 AM

It is going to be an interesting summer. Dont think it will depend on securing the scudetto, but qualifying to the CL will be a prerequisite to getting the players in.

Im rather impressed with Kalulu as well, but Botman will be a straight replacement if he comes. Being protoganists in CL and Serie A will require more depth/quality and both Sanches and Botman provide that.

Then there is the forward position; with Giroud and Zlatan staying on, dont think there is room for another. Unless Zlatan retires then the club will be on the market for someone notable. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but then again with Zlatan retiring the club will have ample room to accommodate for that striker.

Posted by: han2503 Mar 8 2022, 10:09 PM

I'm throwing curve balls at you left and right lately. Just to keep you on your toes

You really think he'll be sent back? I know Pioli doesn't seem to trust him, but he is an added body should the need arise. Especially considering or injury record.


There have been rumors floating about Belotti potentially signing. Just not that sold on the idea. I think we need a more complete/mobile striker for our set up. Obviously Belotti would be free and on relatively low wages. So it's an easy solution which would allow us to concentrate the funds on other areas.


Botman will be a replacement for Romagnoli. And I think we'll have to start considering Kjaer's future as well depending on how he recovers from his injury. So yeah, he'll be a good investment for the future.

For me. the perfect mercato would be

In:
Botman
Sanches
RW
LB backup for Theo
Adli
Pobega


Out:
Ballo-Toure
Samu
Krunic
Gabbia (Loan)
Messia (don't redeem)

Ibra want to stay and I think the management want to give him the final year as he is still of value to this team, maybe not so much on the pitch anymore, but certainly as part of the dressing room


With all the quality we'll have in the central midfield areas, we could eaily play an inverted 4-3-3, with Sanches slightly ahead of Bennacer and Tonali.

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 9 2022, 12:06 AM

Belotti is too underwhelming and won't solve anything. He's reached his max potential, maybe even started to decline now. We shouldn't justify his signing simply cos he's free.

Zlatan and Giroud are OK for backups, but we need a top class CF. Someone who can guarantee us at least those 20+ goals per season. We haven't had one since 2012 Zlatan.

Then there's the whole RW issue as well, which in my opinion is even more relevant.

And there's replacing Romagnoli and Kessie.

Overall, we should be making 4 quality signings. It's fundamental if we want to remain competitive and make that much needed step ahead in terms of quality. And to get there we need a 100m signing campaign. There's no other way. Botman and Sanches alone won't cost less than 50m.

No idea who our management has in mind for the attack

For the other positions, I'd take Florenzi as LB alternative. His redemption is set at 4.5m, I hear we wanna lower it to 3m. Adli and Pobega will provide much needed depth in midfield. So, let's focus on quality over quantity this time around. And get rid of any excess baggage.

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Mar 9 2022, 07:04 PM

@han, id like to put this disclaimer: nobody and no choice could be perfect.

That out of the way, I believe Maldini and Massara has done a splendid job. Mistakes? Yes there were mistakes and there will be in the future. But with all things considered they have made pretty shrewd decisions. Case in point Kalulu, they gave him room to grow and build on what he has to offer by not bringing in a like for like replacement as a result of Kjaer?s injury. Maignan a direct replacement for Dollaruma. The first #9 to break the curse of that shirt number since Inzaghi?s retirement. Tomori? Theo? Leao? Tonali? I mean, these are players that have formed a core.

We go into this summer window with certain objectives, some are like for like replacements and some to add quality/depth.

So proud of Paolo! Beyond imagination, what he has done as a sporting director has been immense. I would also extend this to Gazidis?s leadership ? as it hurts to loss Dollaruma and Kessie, two players capable of being flag bearers for the club.

Wont name names beyond Botman and Sanches, but I am interested in who else could come. Belotti would be a perfect addition (perfect as in fits the budget and a player who adds depth). Mobile/complete striker? Yes please, but then again lets see what Maldini and co have brewing on a low fire for us

Posted by: han2503 Mar 10 2022, 04:27 PM

I agree about Belotti. But with next season most likely being Zlatan and Giroud's final season with us, would you take him if it mean we direct those funds to the RW position?

Because we all know the budget won't be limitless. We need to make a couple of good sales as well imo. Krunic could fetch us a half decent sum, maybe Alexis as well. Samu I've lost hope that we'll get an actual transfer fee for him.

I agree totally re the issue of quantity vs quality. But with the injury problems, we have to keep an eye on the number of players in our roster as well. As it cannot be too thin

I don't see Florenzi as a LB alternative. He's rather awkward looking in that position imo. I'd redeem him for sure as he's a great squad player but only for the right side and maybe midfield if we go for a 4-3-3 next season. We need a proper Theo backup next season. Maybe bring in a dependable Serie A player who's not flashy but can do the job when Theo isn't avilable.

Romagnoli and Kessie will be replaced most likely by Botman and Sanches+Pobega. Plus Adli coming in as well. So if Sanches comes in the midfield area will be pretty stacked. Same goes for the CB position with the addition of Botman coming in an Kjaer returning from injury.

The RW for me is still the biggest issue. I've been saying since 2019 that we have a Ferrari situation on the left side and a Fiat situation on the other side.

Obviously Calabria has come a long way since Pioli's first season with us, but he really needs a collaborator on that right side like with Theo and Leao/Rebic.


Agree completely that all those players have made huge strides. We just need to find the other complementary pieces to add to them to have a more complete and competitive team. I really do think that this squad has the best future outlook in all of Serie A. We just need to improve those last few positions to go to the next level. I think Botman and Sanches will help in that, and I trust the management with those decisions. A RW and Theo backup would imo complete the squad. We can go all out for a striker the following summer

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 10 2022, 09:24 PM

It really boils down to how much we're going to spend this summer. Gazzetta reported a couple of weeks ago that we'll have a budget of 100m. Considering we spent 75m last summer, with the extra revenues this season I wouldn't deem it that far-fetched.

With 100m we could get 3-4 quality players no doubt.

Posted by: han2503 Mar 11 2022, 04:48 PM

In today's market, I really doubt that 100m will get you 4 quality players. Maybe 3 at most. With Sanches and Botman hopefully being locked down that's already potentially 50 to 60m out of the budget. We're most like going to pick up the option on Florenzi so that's another 4m

Maybe we can get some incoming cash from some half decent sales (Hauge, Paqueta % on resale, Krunic - unlikely since Pioli likes him but we're going to be stacked in that area)

But we'll probably have around 40m left to spend on the attack. And for me. I'd rather divert it completely to a RW rather than split it on a RW and striker as 20m won't get you anyone decent

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 14 2022, 07:59 PM

I wouldn't sign Sanches. He's too injury prone, beyond what we can afford. And it's not like it's only this season or the one prior, but his entire career has been conditioned by countless injuries.

I made a count from Transfermarkt. Since 16/17 he's missed 69 games. 69! Not counting the latest injury this weekend which saw him leave the pitch in tears. It's not worth it, people. We're not ManCity with a deep bench. Someone like Sanches would be a serious investment and having him out for half the games would be too steep a price to pay.

Posted by: CrazyMilanFan Mar 17 2022, 12:32 PM

why are we even considering this origi as striker?

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 17 2022, 02:18 PM

Because we're cheapskates, why else. He'd be coming as a free agent.

Zlatan will probably renew for another year. Giroud has one year left in his contract. So management probably thinks it's not the right moment to spend a lot of money on a CF.

The only good thing out of this is that perhaps we could divert those funds on a quality RW.

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Mar 18 2022, 10:46 PM

Nothing is concrete as of yet, Paolo and Massara?s respective contracts expire this summer and the club has not yet tied them down with extensions.

The focus is on obtaining maximum results this season. Depending on that, Milan can begin to iron out the details for their targets and engage in renewal talks for their directors and players.

As if Milan win the league, it means more investments. Milan qualify for CL only, then less investments. Milan get burned out and drop out of top 4 then minimal investments.

A lot is dependent on what happens from now till May. Sanches and a CB will remain a priority for Milan though.

Posted by: han2503 Mar 20 2022, 10:28 AM

I'd still take the chance on Sanches. He'd be transformative for our midfield. Not to mention his versatility. Yes, he's had injury issues which is worrying but I think the upside he'd bring out-weighs this


@R7, I saw a week or so ago that both Paolo and Massara are about to renew their deals. I'm really not worried about either as they've both done impeccable jobs since coming in.

As for Origi. I think he'd fit into our system, plus he has a pretty good goal/game ratio playing mostly as a sub for Liverpool. I've said this for a while now. With Zlatan and Giroud both being here next season, I wouldn't mind going for a cheap solution in the striker position and divert the fund on a RW, CB, CM and back up LB.

We can't do it all in one summer. But that RW position is a must. And with both Kessie and Romagnoli on their way out, replacing them is also a big priority. Just those 3 positions will most likly take up the entirety of the budget.

I really hope we can make some decent sales. We should look into trying to offload Alexis at this point as he seems to have hit a wall and is even regressing at this point. Krunic if we bring in Sanches and keep Pobega is going to be surplus as well.

Maybe we can pick up around 20m from those 2

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 20 2022, 02:54 PM

You'll be eating these words when next year we'll be playing Krunic CM again because Sanches is out injured.

Posted by: han2503 Mar 21 2022, 09:32 PM

Why are you so hard on me x-off??

Just let me bask in my love for Sanches pls



Anyway. We'll have good depth in the midfield area with Adli and Pobega coming in. Not too worried about Krunic

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 21 2022, 11:15 PM

Looks like Origi is almost a done deal.

Don't know how to feel about this. Again, if we can divert those funds towards a quality RW then I guess I would be fine with it. Or maybe we're going to sign Origi and another CF, who knows.

I also read a report about us being interested in Brugge's De Ketelaere. Guy can play RW, AM and even CF. Haven't seen him play, just YouTube stuff. Great technique but looks a bit lightweight and not very fast. That was my preception anyway.

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 22 2022, 01:16 AM

Di Marzio: "Kessie has already signed for Barcelona and sustained his medical. He'll earn 7m per season for 4 years"

Good riddance.

Posted by: han2503 Mar 22 2022, 04:59 PM

Yes, Schira saying it's done now. And he's usually reliable

Honestly, I'm happy with this as it will free up the money for other areas. And I think for a free agent, he'd be better than Belotti who has been hit and miss for a while now, plus he's younger. And I don't think it would make any sense to get another striker unless Zlatan isn't renewing - which imo would only happen if Sweden were to miss the World Cup and we win the Scudetto, otherwise I think he'll want another season. So it wouldn't make any sense to have 4 CFs for one position

Origi has better technique than Belotti, he's quicker, just as powerful, is more versatile and will bring in that movement we lack with Ibra and Giroud but thrived off of when Rebic played there at the start of the season. Plus he's used to playing in a system where he's part of a press which isn't the case with Belotti.

I feel sorry for Belotti as I know he's a Milan fan as well and wanted the move, but I really feel like he's missed the boat. Whoever advised him to sign that contract 5 years ago really f@cked him over


Well at least he didn't go to Inter or Juve. I'll give him that

Just help us win the title, so at least it won't be such a bitter farewell as with the other 2 mofos

Posted by: han2503 Mar 24 2022, 10:50 PM

Italy man...

So disappointing. Two consecutive WCs now. Just no words, how a team can go from being European champions to not making the WC...

Mancini is the biggest dumbass out there. Immobile, Berardi, Insigne. These guys are never going to do it for the NT because they're just not cut out for he big stage

He's got Scamacca on the bench, never gives him an opportunity, same goes for Zaniolo when Beraradi is stinking up the place. Barella at this point is gassed and running on fumes, yet he keeps insisting on him. Just inexcusable. Same thing over and over again against Switzerland, Ireland and not Macedonia. Keeps beating a dead horse.

And please never mention Berardi again next to Milan's. This guy disgusts me. He can do it for Sassuolo when there's never any pressure but he's absolute sh!t when it really matters

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 24 2022, 11:15 PM

Scamacca was out injured tonight. Keeping guys like Zaniolo and Zaccagni out and insisting with the likes of Berardi and Insigne, now that was foolish. Joao Pedro! Fucking Joao Pedro, man! Sorry Mancini, but you deserved to go out.

I feel sorry for Italy because they're the only team I support in international competitions. This is an epochal embarassment, much worse than 4 years ago. To be eleminated by North fucking Macedonia, man. Which only had a shot on goal in the 92th minute. Scandalous. Simply scandalous.

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 24 2022, 11:23 PM

+10000

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Mar 24 2022, 11:29 PM

:pirate:Dollaruma

Italy is the team from Europe that I am fond of in international competitions. Sad to see them bow out like this. But Dollaruma im happy he is so successful. CL and now WC.

Posted by: han2503 Mar 25 2022, 08:29 PM

Didn't know he was out. But yeah, the inclusion of Joao Pedro is ridiculou. I'd rather he have given Mario another chance or even put in Belotti.

Insinge has scored ONE open play goal all season for Napoli, just ridiculous to keep insisting with him. Same goes for Barella when Pellegrini and Tonali are in much better form

Verrati btw is amazing, I don't understand why he keeps wasting away in France when he could do it in much better leagues and get the recognition he deserves.

I'd still keep Mancini though. He'll learn from this. And the other options being mentioned are horrifying anyway




The Azzurri are my NT. But Donna's March nightmare is lowkey satisfying

Posted by: han2503 Mar 25 2022, 08:37 PM

Hakan out of the WC as well

He's been sh!t for Inter for the last 2 months or so as well.

Beautiful karma

Posted by: Danny Mar 27 2022, 07:54 PM

I hope my posting here doesn't jinx the very real probability of us winning the Scudetto...

Posted by: X-Offender Mar 27 2022, 08:21 PM

We're fucked.

Posted by: Danny Mar 27 2022, 11:24 PM

I'm surprised there's no kiss emoji.

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 7 2022, 05:33 PM

Asensio being heavily linked with us.

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 17 2022, 04:54 PM

https://sempremilan.com/milan-investcorp-300m-nkunku-haller-zaniolo

Gazzetta love to bullshit around. How do they expect to be taken seriously by publishing crap like this? 300m? Arabs or no Arabs, that's never going to happen. We'd be lucky to spend 1/3 of that.

Posted by: han2503 Apr 17 2022, 07:22 PM

The biggest irony is that they didn't even know about this potential sale before Bloomberg broke the news

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 17 2022, 07:36 PM

Yeah, and all of a sudden they know everything when the deal hasn't even been reached yet. Online you already have people invoking Haaland's name because of crap like this.

Anyway, there's room to feel very optimistic about this. Investcorp are a very reputable group, and their goal seems to be to diversify and expand their reach in Europe and in football. The money they are spending to acquire us (1.1 billion according to Bloomberg?a lot!), goes to showcase their serious intentions on the matter.

The best thing we can expect out of this are some lucrative sponsorship deals that would allow us to spend more and increase the salary cap.

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Apr 17 2022, 09:35 PM

Investcorp is a private equity and alternative investment company.

They invest on behalf of their clients.

Investcorp investing in Milan means they have a pool of clients that seek such exposure.

So it is not Investcorp but their clients that are funding this purchase, however Investcorp acts on their behalf.

Now you can all rest easy.

Posted by: William405 Apr 17 2022, 11:21 PM

Can you go into a bit more details on what kind of implications this can have for Milan?

Posted by: Rossoneri7 Apr 18 2022, 12:04 AM

If they want to invest in Milan, they see value in the club/brand. As in any investment you want to see the value appreciate, so that is the only implication I can honestly see.

But it should be noted that although Investcorp is the face we fans will see. It is behind closed doors that investors will give Investcorp the mandate to manage Milan. Will those investors show face one day? Highly unlikely. Controversy? Not really, Elliott?s ownership of Milan was nothing but a pool of investors funds as well. But the mandate of management was provided by said investors.

Historically Investcorp had done brilliant returns for their investors, they are a well managed investment house. I could see the work of Elliott continued with them, however as with any takeover there will be a stellar signing to get the fans grooving.

Posted by: CrazyMilanFan Apr 18 2022, 08:18 AM

My main concern is that the takeover if happening does take the whole summer. We need it to materialize quickly rather then waiting for whole summer to see if the takeover goes through or not

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 18 2022, 11:53 AM

From what I hear the due diligence is underway, the deal should be sealed around the beginning of June. But either way management operations will not be influenced, so negotiations like Botman and Origi will go through either way.

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 24 2022, 04:37 PM

Looks like Botman is 99% a done deal. Mediaset reports today that there's total agreement on everything. 3M per season to the player, 30M + 5M bonuses to Lille.

Gotta say, that's quite the expensive signing for us, especially for a defender.

Posted by: han2503 Apr 24 2022, 10:17 PM

I really do hope that he budget is big enough to properly improve the attack

Because spending such a big chunk on a CB when Kalulu and Tomori are becoming such a great paring would otherwise make no sense. Especially when we could have probably took Bremer for the same kind of money. Now there's the horrific and highly likely possibility of him going to Inter.

Origi is also pretty much done. I think he'll be a great addition for our attack tbh. Skillful, strong, quick, plays for a team like Liverpool so he's adapt at pressing. These will be 2 good additions overall.

We should also try to close out the Sanches deal early. I think out of all the signing we could make, he'll be the game changer for us. Class player, just a bit injury prone which is worrying, but I'm still hopeful that we het him, which would just leave the question of the RW. And I really do hope we go all out there.

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 24 2022, 10:30 PM

I think Botman is a better signing than Bremer. Bremer is too similar to Tomori and Kalulu, whereas Botman is that strong physical left-footed player that would better complement either Tomori, Kalulu or even Kjaer. Besides, he's Maldini's first choice, and I think Paolo knows a thing or two about defending. Even Stam said this week that Botman will become a world class defender. So, let's be hopeful.

But we need 3 top quality signing in that attack: AM, RW, CF. Origi will be a good sub, but we need a great and reliable goalscorer.

Posted by: han2503 Apr 25 2022, 03:16 PM

Don't think we'll get another striker tbh. We'll have Origi, Giroud, maybe Ibra as well. Can't see us getting another one.

I think bringing in a top notch RW would solve a lot of the issues we have in our attacking game. Renato can play either CM or AM so we'll have options in terms of the formations we play, not to mention Adli and Pobega coming back from loan.

If Renato Sanches comes in I personally think he'll be our AM signing. So that leaves a good chunk of money to spend on a RW and we should not try to skimp there. It is absolutely essential for our play to bring in someone who's just as dangerous as Leao is on the other wing.

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 25 2022, 04:58 PM

There's a huge question mark on Zlatan's permanence. Personally I would never renew his contract and I'd get a top quality CF. I think that's going to be the primary goal this summer.

There are rumours about an interest in Darwin Nunez, but I just can't see us spending 60-70 mil for a player.

Posted by: han2503 Apr 25 2022, 08:06 PM

No way we can afford him.


Re Zlatan, I think if we win the title he retires, if not I think he'll want another season. That being said, it's come to a point where he plays for 15 minutes and is out for a month. Unfortunately his body is breaking down on him. For a small wage I'd still let him stay though. He's still a big influence on the team behind the scenes

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 25 2022, 08:16 PM

So you agree that we can't have only Origi, Giroud and Zlatan then. We need another quality CF. Origi is great as backup, but he cannot be our starter. And Giroud is only fine as 3rd option. He'll be 36 next season.

Haller has also been linked with us, but I woudn't spend 45M on him, also considering his age and all. I'm curious who Maldini is eyeing.

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 26 2022, 05:35 PM

https://sempremilan.com/mahrez-manchester-city-milan-statement-signing

?40m for a 31-year-old? Who would believe this crap?

Posted by: han2503 Apr 27 2022, 07:36 PM

We'd still have Rebic though. I think Origi, Giroud, Zlatan and Rebic would be fine, as long as we have a better supporting cast behind them they'll score. Origi can be the starting CF for us. Just because he was always Liverpool's super sub doesn't mean that he cannot be our starting CF. He's still young and has all the attributes to be successful in Serie A. Giroud can be the back up while Zlatan at this point will mostly just be a figure head. Rebic can always step in as well.

It also depends on who we bring in for the RW. Gabriel Jesus has been mentioned. He's be perfect as he plays both RW and CF. Don't know how realistic that is but with the new ownership coming in, I do think we'll have a good transfer budget to work with this summer.


Mahrez would be perfect for us. But now way would it be for that kind of money. Not only is he 31, but his contract expires in 2024

Posted by: CrazyMilanFan Apr 28 2022, 07:00 PM

that idiot Yonghong filed a 320 M law suit against Eliott

Posted by: X-Offender Apr 28 2022, 07:14 PM

Like you said, an idiot. I read Elliott are not worried at all.

Posted by: X-Offender May 14 2022, 11:57 AM

Di Maria is about to become a free agent. I read Juventus are negotiating with him for a 1-year contract.

Personally, I would seriously consider him. Yes, the guy is 34, but he's still world class, and a 1-2 year contract would be acceptable. Maybe have him as starter for next season so we can invest in a quality striker this summer, and then worry about the RW in 2023.

Posted by: han2503 May 16 2022, 04:20 PM

That looks really good actually, but Di Maria would still demand high wages, don't know if it's doable for us.

Posted by: X-Offender May 16 2022, 04:23 PM

That report I read said he wants 7M. Maybe we can give him 6M + 1M bonuses. But anyway, regardless of who we go for the right flank, I just hope it's not Berardi. One of the most overrated players in Italy.

Posted by: han2503 May 16 2022, 04:28 PM

Agreed.

Posted by: William405 Jun 2 2022, 06:16 PM

We should really go after Di Maria.

Posted by: han2503 Jun 2 2022, 09:09 PM

Most likely going to Juve.

Why do these players keep going to that graveyard FFS?

Allegri will ruin him before I can say the word GO

Posted by: X-Offender Jun 2 2022, 11:33 PM

Yeah, Di Maria would have been a sweet deal. He's asking a bit too much and also a 3-year contract at least from what I've read, but we could have still tried to make it work. Guy is still world class.

I'm very curious to see who we'll sign for that right wing. One thing's certain, it's going to be someone of quality.