Hmmm, does anyone know what type of player is he?

Seems like he's a defensive midfielder. What the..

He can play as CM as well as AM.

There was someone else we were in for, but annoyingly I still can't remember who.

More interestingly according to Silvio if indeed PSG have told Ibra he can leave, he's already confirmed apparently he'll come to us?

I'd be so much happier with him in the hole than any of the shite options we have.

Bacca has nothing to do with Witsel. 35M don't automatically mean you're a good player or worth that investment. Just like a good Perugia game and a couple of pre-season matches don't mean Bacca was worth the money yet.

Oh, and well, the club cares. I mean, with that kind of logic we should be able to buy anyone, because...who cares about the money! But that's not how this thing goes.

Ibrahimović and Witsel would most probably do the trick. Only Witsel, I think we'd overpay him and still not dissolve our problem with creativity upfront. That Kovačić link brightened my day for a second, but when, Real came in...

Bacca's a good player. That's a fact. You don't come 5th in La Liga top scorer charts if you're not a good player.



I think X was making the point that to us fans it doesn't matter if the club pays 25 or 35. And it doesn't.

Well, I guess it does - so many fans whining about Bacca's price tag, started going a bit quiet when it emerged how good he is.



What problem with creativity is this? The one where we've scored 3 v Sassuolo and Inter then another 2 v Perugia?

Not sure we have such a problem now.

Can judge better v Fio of course.

I think you judge too quickly, that's all I have to say. Bacca, creativity, everything.

P.S.

The fact that Bacca was good in Spain doesn't automatically mean he'll do good in Serie A with us. Look, I'm not saying Bacca is overrated or anything, I'm just being cautious since I haven't had enough time to assess his adaptation.

Where did you see in that post me saying they were better than us? We still had the superior team, by a distance imo. They were just simply better coached. They had a reasonably good side, but as a whole we had the better team, the bigger stars/match winners, etc

I actually once again added that they took the title right out from under us.

Soriano looking more and more likely to happen... How sad if he's our suppsed solution for the midfield, once again, Galliani never learns his lesson. We have a midfield filled to the rafters with bench players...

Also, we loaned Verdi to Eibar. I think it's with an option to buy. I'll update the transfer list in the other thread later

Obviously Miha wants to play a certain type of football where the CMs are hard-working box-to-box mids that defend and push a lot forward. That's why we're going for Soriano, so that we can have an alternative to Bertolacci and Bonaventura. But the point is that not only we don't seem to be remotely interested in a creator, but we're also filling our midfield with very average players. At least Witsel would offer a hop in quality which Soriano clearly does not. And to make things worse, our trequartistas are pretty mediocre as well.

I think any midfield without a proper orchestrator is a poor one. Look at an EPL side like City for example, sure they usually run all over their EPL opponents without much trouble, but they fail in Europe because they have no one to really take charge in midfield.

A regista or at the very least a proper mezzala is always a requirement for any top side. This brainless, all physical type mid is something that Allegri first started at Milan and it's what he's going to turn the Juve midfield into next season if he has his way. There should be a balance, especially when - like us - you have a very one dimensional DM like De Jong playing in that regista position.

I don't think Soriano is simply a box-to-box player, looks more like a classic CM to me, which is what we need (even more so than a Witsel type), that being said, he's Bonaventura/Bertolacci level, therefore he's not really going to add much of anything to our midfield at this point. Once again Galliani seems to be obsessed with quantity over quality, just bring in someone to "shut people up" and be done with it, like he has done so many times.

Also Miha's obsession with his past Samp players is worrying, we've already spent 25m on an unproven talent for the centre of our defence, I think that's quite enough for one summer.

Now if weplayed this smart and tried to ship Monto/Poli + Nocerino and a bit of cash to Samp for Soriano and still got Witsel, I'd say it was a pretty genius move. But genius and Galliani don't really go together. I really can't see him pulling something like that off. Maybe in the past but not nowadays

Btw, Matri could be off to Lazio ()

I saw a few clips of Sorinao on YouTube. He doesn't look bad, but he's simply not good enough if we're aiming at high spots. Consider a NDJ-Bertolacci-Bonaventura-Soriano midfield. That has written 'average' all over it. Little creativity and not enough quality to bring the best out of the team.

Well given we're using a 3-man mid it would be NDJ, Berto and Soriano. It's a solid if uninspiring clutch of players, and desperately needs the quality in front of it to elevate it.

A Witsel or Ibra in that hole is what Milan miss right now. A sort of hybrid regista/treq who can both slow play down and dictate, putting their foot on the ball, and also create chances up top.

Youtube can be deceiving, I just don't see him adding anything to the side that we don't already have.

If he's the guy papers have been saying Galliani has been working on for a while that would be hugely disappointing. Most likely Galliani fails with his first target (Witsel) and just goes for him. Reports saying that he has a 10m buy out, so I can only imagine that Galliani is keeping his options open so that if he can't sign anyone better he'll just grab Soriano and say he's who we wanted all along

This article says that Miha will use Soriano as trequartista and wants him more than any other player.

Reports saying that Miha doesn't consider Nocerino part of his project and wants him out. Samp and Bologna are interested. Also, Jose Mauri might go on loan if Soriano comes, although his agent seems openly against it and wants him to stay.

By the way, I don't know if this has already been mentioned, but Agazzi and Zaccardo have been left out of the roster.

What does that mean, left out?

They weren't given numbers, I believe. Verdi was the first, and was then loaned out.

Yeah.

But Verdi got loaned out. If they don't leave, what happens?

I think they might go down the Muntari route with them if they continue to turn down offers.

Also, Reports saying that Alex will be the defender on his way out this summer, Paletta and Zapata most likely to stay

They might not travel with the team at all, just train and stay home. Or worst case scenario, not train at all. That's what "fuori rosa" means in Italian.

More of an 'attacking midfielder' than pure treq - Ballack was a Lampard type back in the day. We don't really have that kind of player (well, we do in the sense that we have weak versions like Bona, Honda and Suso), so it's not unwelcome, but I can't see him threading the passes.

Lemme f*ckin' guess - without even translating that means 'Gardening Leave', am I right?

We've heard contradictions time and time again. On the day we hear Paletta and Zaps are likely to stay, we hear a bidding war is on for Paletta and Zaps is still attracting interest from England.

And Alex has been linked out for weeks but nothing happens.

I think there are pros and cons to selling each one

I think Zapata can get us the highest transfer fee. Especially since clubs from the EPL want him. Alex won't go for much but he earns a lot more than the other 2 so that's also a big plus to get his wage off the books. Paletta is wanted by Atalanta and another Serie A club I can't remember which one atm. But they're saying the fee would be only 2m and he's good enough to be a sub without complaining too much. The only sure thing atm is that one of them will leave. Today Alex is looking like the most likely, but as you said, this thing has been yo-yoing for a while now. Can't wait for this month to be over so we'll know what our team will be

As for Soriano, I don't really know what type of mid he is, just that he's not a really good one or one who will make much of a difference for us.

30m on him and Bertolacci... I could seriously cry considering this is how much Bayern paid for Vidal

The attacking midfielder is the trequartista in the 4-3-1-2. And it says trequartista in the original article.



No, rosa means "roster", and fuori means "out". So, "out of roster".

Yup. FWIW, Allegri had a similar obsession (with Cagliari). Looks like Miha has been more successful in getting Galliani to listen to him ...

Well, in their defense, it's just partly an obsession. Part of it is pure journalistic invention; Milan was constantly linked with Matri, Lazzari, Astori, etc. not just because we or Allegri wanted them, it's because such fabulations seem plausible enough. That's why I knew right from the start that once Miha got appointed a bunch of Serbian players links will pop up. And look: Nastasić, Maksimović,... all of them appeared, none of them seems to be sticking enough to be real.

Anyway, seems like Aggazi should be off to Middlesbrough. He was a pointless signing in the first place, so...

Also, Raiola-Galliani talks intensify. Ibra to Milan might still happen.

(Source: MN)

It's only on a loan apparently. Man we can't get rid of these guys for good even if we paid the other clubs to take them off our hands!!

August 22nd and we're still stuck with the likes of Zaccardo, Matri and Nocerino. We should also look into selling Poli or Monto.

The Ibra thing came from Mediaset, while Sky squashed it quickly saying that PSG will not let Ibra leave...

Soriano deal could be wrapped up today with Galliani and Ferrero supposedly meeting in Forte dei Marmi. According to Gazzetta Nocerino could be included in the deal (I'd give them Poli as well and lower that price a bit more)

Mediaset also says that since we're paying 10 million for Soriano instead of 30 for Witsel, we could offer PSG about 10 million to get Ibra right away.

I'd do it.

Actually it will most likely be 13m for Soriano so we can pay it in instalments. Ferrero wanted the entire fee paid immediately at 10m

33m for Bertolacci and this guy... Have I mentioned that I could just cry?

Our midfield on paper is still a very average lump of different players thrown in there.

No, they're 'good players' according to you.

You're REALLY contradictory these days my boy.

No agreement yet between Galliani and Ferrero. Samp want 12 million payable in two years, we offer 10. Meanwhile, Zenga said that "Soriano will play for us tomorrow and I believe he'll be playing for us next Sunday as well".

Hopefully it all goes to hell and we sign a better player, but that's unlikely.

Like I said, good/average, it depends on how you see it. They're all decent players, but really, are any of them going to take us anywhere? No. Generally speaking, they're all relatively decent players, who would most likely be the focal points at their mid-table sides (like most of them were when we poached them off the various Sampdorias, Fiorentinas, Atalantas, etc.) But when looking at it from the perspective of Milan and what our objectives are, they're, and I repeat, average to the cause.

If you want to see that as contradictory fine, maybe I'm not explaining myself correctly, but that's how I see it

Soriano for example is a good player at Samp, but I still call him an average player who won't really add much of anything to our overall average midfield.

Balotelli been linked with a return.

I will struggle to support him if he ends up in our shirt again.

That would be utterly ridiculous. Don't we have enough strikers? And wan't our previous experience with him enough? Somehow, I would not be all that surprised if it happens, though.

Would be pointless. Not to speak that both ends (Milan, Liverpool, hell even Balo) would come out looking pretty stupid. That being said, I could happen, yes.

I'm disgusted.

I think Balo and Liverpool would be the ones to look stupid considering they paid us 20m for him and the deal is said to be a free loan.

I was personally against selling him last summer, but now, I seriously don't want him, and all this means is that Galliani has failed to get Ibra so Balo is his panic buy, just like Soriano will be since we can't get Witsel. Typical really, and once again it just shows that Galliani never learns.

The only acceptable part is that it would be a free loan, so we can send him packing after it ends. However, this would not take away from the fact that we'd be bringing a disrupting influence into our locker rooms at such a delicate moment for our team

Just unbelievable at this point...

Mihajlovoc said yes to Balotelli's return. Now it's up to the management to decide [Sky].

Milan have Liverpool's OK for loaning Balotelli. Also, Liverpool will pay Balotelli's salary. [Gds] -- Of Course

Galliani on Balotelli: "Some love stories never end, they do huge tours and then come back."

All I have to say is F@@@CK!!

Some good news

BREAKING - #SKY: Michael #Agazzi is in England right now to sign with @Boro. Deal done! #acmilan


All I'm hoping with regards to this Balo deal is that it's some sort of good will with Raiola for Ibra in January or next summer...

Ibra next summer would be pointless

Ibra is never pointless. He'll still be great next year. And we'll still have no creativity in midfield so he'll still be needed

Im afraid to say, but if we could loan him, without even paying his salary I wouldnt mind to get Balotelli at all. Matri is either way leaving, Niang is injured, so its not like we dont need a striker. If Bacca gets injured, who else we have ? And as Mihajlovic said: Only those who deserve to play will play. So Im sure that if Balotelli plays that will be cos he is doing a good job. I welcome his return and if we achieve to get Ibra too that would be awesome. If not in reality, at least for Football Manager 2016.

Absolutely appalled at Balo coming back, as now looks the case, but there is an upside:

Miha's not p*ssing about re: attitude. Doesn't care how good you are, if your attitude, discipline and work ethic isn't up to scratch, you're ditched. Menez, Cerci, Monto, Mexes are all totally out of favour under this regime at the moment and Balo would simply end up ditched too if he doesn't buck up his ideas.

He's a wee c*nt and I loathe him, but it's a loan and we're only paying half his wages.

It's completely up to him to apply himself properly and stop p*ssing his career away. If he doesn't give 110%, he simply won't be called up.

Getting Balo means that the Ibra operation is impossible so Galliani is settling (as usual) just like he's doing with Soriano is midfield.

It couldn't get any more depressing than this.


Menez and Mexes are both injured btw, there is no indication that either of them are ousted. Mexes was clearly going to be the first choice next to Romagnoli and most media outlets were reporting it as such, now Ely has done more to justify his start which pushed Mexes to 2nd choice for that spot. I think that's only fair considering how Ely has played so far and it should be how things are done, it doesn't mean he's black listed. Also, he's currently injured so that's why he's not called up

Menez is also having fitness issues, he was in Monaco just last week because of his back. Again, no indication to show that he's ousted from the squad.

Neither is Cerci.

Only one that I'm seeing anything that clearly shows a clear rift between coach and player is with Monto, they have a previous history from their time at Fiorentina and Monto's current performances haven't done him any favours with Miha. The fact that he was stripped of his captaincy (even if not officially) says it all.

As for your comment in general, for a coach who has been so adamant about not taking any BS, wanting a cancer like Balo in the dressing room for me is completely contradictory to everything he preaches. It is simply just not conducive to the cause you're marching for, simple as that.

Balo is a major mistake

Sky saying Balo will be at Milanello tomorrow for his medical. Liverpool and Milan currently discussing a buyout clause...



From Ibra to Balo

From Witsel to Soriano

The typical Milan summer transfer trajectory

This.