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Winter Transfer 2022 |
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Dec 18 2021, 03:24 PM
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Prima Squadra
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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
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Dec 18 2021, 09:40 PM
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Prima Squadra
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QUOTE (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. 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
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Jan 6 2022, 07:33 PM
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Primavera
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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.
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Jan 6 2022, 09:11 PM
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The brightest sun is the purest gun
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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.
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Jan 6 2022, 09:38 PM
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Primavera
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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.
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Jan 11 2022, 05:24 PM
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Prima Squadra
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QUOTE (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. 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 QUOTE (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. 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
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Jan 17 2022, 07:25 PM
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Primavera
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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.
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Jan 30 2022, 06:45 PM
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Primavera
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He is? How?
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Jan 30 2022, 10:01 PM
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Primavera
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Oh, hell... yes...
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Jan 31 2022, 07:17 PM
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Primavera
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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.
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Jan 31 2022, 08:32 PM
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Smoking Bianco
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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.
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Jan 31 2022, 10:33 PM
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The brightest sun is the purest gun
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QUOTE (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. 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.
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Feb 8 2022, 10:13 PM
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Prima Squadra
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QUOTE (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. 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
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Feb 9 2022, 09:10 AM
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Primavera
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Why are you all so sold on Sanches?
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Feb 10 2022, 10:01 PM
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Prima Squadra
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QUOTE (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. 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. QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Feb 9 2022, 09:10 AM) Why are you all so sold on Sanches? 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 QUOTE (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. 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 QUOTE (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. 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
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Feb 11 2022, 04:54 AM
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Allievi Regionali B
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QUOTE (X-Offender @ Feb 11 2022, 01:03 AM) Apparently Barca were interested, but then back out due to his salary demands. 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." (IMG: style_emoticons/default/king.gif) 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.
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Feb 11 2022, 08:41 PM
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Prima Squadra
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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
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Feb 11 2022, 09:15 PM
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The brightest sun is the purest gun
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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. QUOTE I am proud to have chosen Milan and it is not my intention to leave. Indeed, I want to stay forever.
When I get back from the Olympics I will fix everything. There will be no problems, I always keep my word. The club has always known that my will is to stay with the Rossoneri. An important season awaits us.
I just want Milan. We are a fantastic group, I can't wait to be able to hug my teammates and the coach again. We will have to live up to the name Milan has in Europe. We have to aim for the maximum in every competition, both in the league and in the cups. We will not disappoint.
I like it so much when the ultras sing 'a President, there is only one President'. I want to stay for life here. I would like to go as far as possible in the Olympic tournament with the Ivory Coast, then Milan will have me for as long as they want... I mean, WTF?!
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Feb 12 2022, 03:24 PM
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Smoking Bianco
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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.
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Feb 12 2022, 10:49 PM
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Prima Squadra
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QUOTE (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. 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
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Mar 7 2022, 08:17 PM
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Prima Squadra
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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.
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Mar 8 2022, 10:09 PM
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Prima Squadra
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QUOTE (X-Offender @ Mar 7 2022, 09:10 PM) Took me a while to figure out who this mysterious Yoko is. (IMG: style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Last I read he'll be sent back to Chelsea in the summer one year early. 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. QUOTE (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. 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.
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Mar 9 2022, 12:06 AM
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The brightest sun is the purest gun
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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.
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Mar 9 2022, 07:04 PM
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Smoking Bianco
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@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 (IMG: style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)
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Mar 10 2022, 04:27 PM
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Prima Squadra
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QUOTE (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. 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. QUOTE (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 (IMG: style_emoticons/default/devil.gif) 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
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Mar 11 2022, 04:48 PM
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QUOTE (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. 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
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Mar 20 2022, 10:28 AM
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QUOTE (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. 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
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Mar 21 2022, 09:32 PM
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QUOTE (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. Why are you so hard on me x-off?? (IMG: style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) 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
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Mar 22 2022, 04:59 PM
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QUOTE (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. 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 QUOTE (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. 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
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Mar 24 2022, 10:50 PM
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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
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Mar 25 2022, 08:29 PM
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QUOTE (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. 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 QUOTE (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 (IMG: style_emoticons/default/king.gif) im happy he is so successful. CL and now WC. (IMG: style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG: style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) The Azzurri are my NT. But Donna's March nightmare is lowkey satisfying
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Mar 25 2022, 08:37 PM
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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
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Apr 17 2022, 07:22 PM
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QUOTE (X-Offender @ Apr 17 2022, 04:54 PM) GdS: Investcorp have ?300m ready to improve Milan?s squad ? the names from Nkunku to HallerGazzetta 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. The biggest irony is that they didn't even know about this potential sale before Bloomberg broke the news
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Apr 24 2022, 10:17 PM
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QUOTE (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. 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.
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Apr 24 2022, 10:30 PM
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QUOTE (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. 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.
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Apr 25 2022, 03:16 PM
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QUOTE (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. 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.
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Apr 25 2022, 08:06 PM
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QUOTE (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. 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
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Apr 25 2022, 08:16 PM
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QUOTE (han2503 @ Apr 25 2022, 08:06 PM) 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 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.
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Apr 27 2022, 07:36 PM
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QUOTE (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. 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. QUOTE (X-Offender @ Apr 26 2022, 05:35 PM) 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
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May 16 2022, 04:20 PM
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QUOTE (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. Maignan Calabria - Tomori - Botman - Theo Tonali - Bennacer - Sanches Di Maria - FW - Leao That looks really good actually, but Di Maria would still demand high wages, don't know if it's doable for us.
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May 16 2022, 04:28 PM
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QUOTE (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. Agreed.
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Jun 2 2022, 09:09 PM
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QUOTE (William405 @ Jun 2 2022, 06:16 PM) We should really go after Di Maria. 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
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