Phillipe Senderos has been identified as the player to bolster the AC Milan defense, according to reports.

The San Siro outfit have been forced to turn to the transfer market due to injuries to the defensive trio of Alessandro Nesta, Khaka Kaladze and Paolo Maldini, and the Switzerland internantional fits the bill.

The 23-year-old has been further marginalised at Arsenal with the arrival of Mikael Silvestre from English Premier League rivals Manchester United and despite his youth the former Servette player has amassed important experience after making his debut in the Swiss top flight at 16-years old.

The stumbling block would be the asking price set by the Gunners for the uncompromising centre-half, who appeared for Switzerland in Euro 2008, with reports suggesting the Rossoneri are preparing a bid of around 8million euro compared to Arsenal's valuation of €10 million.

Senderos has risen to the top of the defensive wish-list following Chelsea's refusal to sell Branislav Ivanovic.

I'm split on this. I recognize this guy has potential, but he needs to cut out making errors... it looks a bit like Kaladze. I like Kaladze and think he's solid, but even one error in a game can have dire consequences.

He is experienced despite his age, I agree with the article on that one. I think maybe a change of venue might be his ticket to better quality.

Long as it isn't to the red and black half of Milan. I'm not a fan of Senderos at all.

Eh... Radoslav Kovac is much better.. and I'm sure cheaper too. 5 million Euros... and I think we should go for him. The last bit of cash must be spent on him.

Senderos and Kaladze in the same team..

^^^



Never say never...Rio was a bit of a joke, till Vidic turned up and they made that partnership.

That's cause Vidic is great. Rio still makes kaladzities here and there...

Kaladze and Senderos... the opposition would rest their forwards if we fielded those two...

The new dynamic duo of football.

+1.

If we need another mediocre defender then Senderos will be it. Hope we'll find someone better.

Kovac plus Darmian (more time for the lad) sounds pretty tempting at this point in time. Fingers crossed the management will make the right decision. One more good decision/signing could mean the difference between Scudetto and otherwise. Plus keeping Paloschi/Borriello put.

I don't find anything special in Kovac. We need someone that can fit in our starting line up and Kovac don't seems like tha palyer. He's 28, has never played in a big club and Spartak, his current team, struggling defensively. Though, at this point, 7 days before the end of the transfer window, we don't have that many great players to choose from

That's the key point, Misha. We aren't in the CL, and this for most players is a big thing, no matter how prestigious the club. Unless we show them ridiculous amount of $$$ they don't want to miss one season of Champions League. I wish it wasn't like this. But we have very limited options. At least this year.

Kovac + Darmian won't be that bad an option. Considering he'd only cost us $5m. And give Darmian a much needed breakthrough into first team. Someone more quality would naturally be better. It would complete our transfer windows. But Kovac is better than not having anybody. He's 6'3" and good in the air. Meaning he might fill up some of Stam's shoes. Not all of them. Some. Worth a risk.

He has played in several major tournaments, including the 2006 World Cup and 2008 Euro Cup and has been pretty good in those from what I heard. I think he's a fine player and defender that comes at a low cost... and the part about low cost would interest management. Maybe he needs a change too...

I still don't get why we let Simic go. Personally I prefer a defender that performs at 6 every time without making any mistakes than someone who's better but makes mistakes... and Simic is the former. I doubt we're going to get or we are willing to get someone better than that... So offloading the Croat seems stupid to me.

The great CB is gonna come next season!

Exactly. One never knows how he may improve once he starts training with his Milan friends. 28 means we can get anywhere near 4-6 decent years out of him. He's got the build, and some skills. It's up to the Milan lab and coaches to get him in tip top shape. We'll see.


I never understood that move too. My gut feeling is that it had something to do with Carlo. The coach's desire not to play him year in, year out was mind boggling. But Ancelotti has been known to do this to players he doesn't like.


Christian won't start playing for Milan senior team for quite some years. I wouldn't bet on this. Plus, Paolo may stay if we make the CL.

I'm not talking about God's sons... I'm talking about acquiring a new great CB to take over from Maldini. And I believe that's going to happen whether Maldini stays or goes. Personally, I believe God will retire with the Scudetto this season!

Yeah and I prefer more experienced defenders myself. Not exactly too young. That's why I view say... Thiago Silva as a future defender... we need to get someone who will do the job now, and then maybe down the line a younger defender.



I don't think Simic really fit into our squad that well... and at best he is an average defender... I just felt like something was missing from his style of play...

Yeah, would be great to see that kid more.


6 games at two tournaments is really not enough to tell. It's not like a season or two in a big league.

He'll be 29 in a few month and I doubt he'll be a WC at this point. Maybe someone of Bonera level.


Carlo just didn't trusted him. There was no reason to keep him while he would be the last in the pecking order. At least now he'll be first choice at Monaco.

You must have forgotten Milan's game with Juve last season...Simic was lucky not to get sent off and hardly did anything worth mention if anything at all.

Well the thing I hear about him is he's reliable, and a solid defender. Sure he may not be world class, but he is going to do the job. And it's not like it's a big risk... 5 million is more than affordable, if say another player is sold.

He has had few injuries throughout his career too.

My thoughts exactly.


Average and playing over 100 games for his country? Plus captaining it? I'd rather like to think you'll find him a tad more than average, on closer look, my friend. Not Paolo or Nesta. But still.


That great one isn't born yet, buddy. No one takes over from Maldini. Even a guy like Nesta can't claim to do that. Plus, the spoiled kid I've become, I don't think there are many Milan-quality CB defenders in world football today. There are a few, but they're the untouchables. I hope I'm proven wrong. And you proven right.


Gotta cut the guy some slack. It's not like he's been playing top-flight football like some dude named Kaladze twice a week.

That's what I don't get, what was Carletto's problem with him?


It was Carletto's mistake that Simic was not match-fit.
Bonera too got a red card for that horror tackle on Sissoko against Juve... should we let him go? You don't just judge a player and let him rot on the bench because of one bad game... if Carletto was fair and Berlusconi did not have a daughter unworthy Kaladze would have gone a long time ago!

You have a point... but I don't know... his playing for Milan didn't really impress me at any point... maybe I just didn't see enough of him...

Hard to tell. He deserved more playing time in those last two years. Maybe it was something personal...

I'm sure that's the point, my friend. First Croatian player to win 100 caps for his country. We wasted the last two-three years of his career. Carlo did. It was so bad it wasn't even funny. We were fielding guys half his age, skills and experience when we had a very decent guy in him. Even when we were up against the wall for options with injuries to Nesta and Paolo. 6 years and only 82 games for us. Too bad Kaladze was sucking up to the coach all this time.

Simic @ Wikipedia

Maybe he took a loan from Calro and didn't return it. I can't think of any other reason for this particular vendetta.

You guys should visit some Simic fansites/forums and see what members were saying there. It was that bad, up to six months between games. When guys like Brocchi, Kaladze were running like headless horses playing game after game. Okay, I can accept that he was bad. But that still doesn't entitle Carlo to destroy anyone's career like this. He more than once lost his place in the NT because of not playing games in Milan. People aren't stupid. Carlo should have sent him packing years ago, rather than destroying someone's career like this. Even if he was bad, he deserved some Serie A games (heck as a substitute) for the sake of team spirit and harmony. The great guy Simic is he only had good words for Milan at the time he left us.

But I'm happy he played his first match for Monaco. He's only 32 for Pete's sake. Hear this Carlo!

Or it could be he and Carlo just didn't get along. Conflicting personalities maybe. I don't know... if the two don't get along... it's unlikely he would put heart into his performances.

I think it's a little unfair to believe Simic didn't give 100% when he was fielded. The problem was that he just wasn't fielded. Maybe he didn't get on with Carletto, I dunno. But he's a good centerback and I was sorry he was so underused last year.

4 matches out of what, 400?

Okay that was exaggerating just a wee bit, but still 4 matches (mostly as a substitute in the 60th minute) in around 60 matches for a guy of his class is downright criminal. Pity Carlo got away with it. I'd have given the guy at the very least 20 (as substitute okay). It's good that he moved away, he's still got three-four years left on the cards.