With the transfer window looming, Italian Football Daily takes a look at what is in store for Siniša Mihajlović’s Milan.
Heading into the 2015-16 campaign, hopes were high for Milan as they relied on a heavy summer investment into the mercato to fuel a resurgent run at European qualification for 2016-17. It has been a season much like the previous ones: inconsistent performances against all types of opponents. The rossoneri have looked impressive at times, particularly in their 3-1 win over Lazio as well as the 4-1 victory over Sampdoria. However, we have witnessed a string of disappointing runs in the league which have left many points on the pitch.
Giacomo Bonaventura, Carlos Bacca, Alessio Romagnoli and Gianluigi Donnarumma have been some of the standout performers in the first half of the season. But with the club currently residing in 6th place on 28 points, there is still room for improvement, with perhaps a coveted European spot left to be corralled.
As we head into the January transfer window, there is hope amongst the Milan faithful that Adriano Galliani and Silvio Berlusconi will inject some funds into the club and make the necessary additions that would see the San Siro outfit return to Europe once again.
Who’s In-
Over the past few years, Milan have made some marginal additions at this point in the season. They tend to seek value in the market rather than make that very expensive haul. Last January, the club was active and added the likes of Mattia Destro, Alessio Cerci and Salvatore Bocchetti in hopes of sparking a second half surge. However, things faltered for then manager Pippo Inzaghi and Milan missed out on the UEFA Champions League once again.
After failing to land that marquee midfielder this past summer, talks have begun once again surrounding Belgium international and Zenit’s Axel Witsel. Some reports indicate that Galliani intends to pursue the longtime target next month but of course, it must not exceed the price tag club officials have placed on him. With the change to a 4-4-2, Witsel is still a player that Milan could surely use and one that Mihajlović would love to have as a creative presence in the midfield.
Palermo’s Franco Vazquez is another name rumored to be in the cross hairs of Milan. However, it’s unclear if they intend to dish out north of 20 million euros the rosanero are demanding and also engage in negotiations with wild Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini. Many would agree that the club is in need of revamping as inconsistent play proves they aren’t quite ready to make the leap to secure a top 3 spot in the league table. An additional central defender is needed to pair with Romagnoli who has carried the subpar defensive unit, while another winger could also be an area to address seeing as Cerci has been sporadic on the right side.
Who’s Out-
Where do we begin here? Milan has many names on the current squad that are just eating away at the wage bill. These same players also have made very few appearances this season and should have been sent away this past summer or are just too young to fit the plans of Mihajlović.
The Rossoneri currently have one of the largest squads in all of Italy which is odd considering they aren’t playing in any European tournament. Sure, the Coppa Italia warrants some additional players to suit up, however, these additional players are simply not of Milan quality nor are they expected to make huge impacts towards the end goal. Players like Antonio Nocerino, Nigel de Jong, Cristian Zapata and Diego Lopez could each be sold this winter considering their involvement in the manager’s plans moving forward.
Youngsters Jose Mauri and Suso are most likely headed out of Milan in the next few weeks as both have been ousted from play. Seeing as Kevin Prince-Boateng is expected to arrive early in 2016, there are quite a few players that will not be in the squad at the end of January, and rightfully so. This is an area of the squad that is more important than some think as it will enable Milan to downsize before adding impactful players for the second half.
Final Word-
Despite all of the up’s and down’s thus far, Milan still find themselves in the mix for a European spot. Additionally, they have a favorable path towards the Coppa Italia final which should trigger something in the minds of Galliani and Berlusconi to make marginal additions to the squad so that they can compete for a domestic cup trophy while also pushing for the ultimate goal of UCL qualification. However, Galliani has continuously stated that no additional players will arrive unless others depart. Because of this, Milan supporters should hope that the deadweight in the squad is shipped off so that Mihajlović can receive some much needed reinforcement.
While it’s understood what needs to be done, the club’s officials have always acted in a way that can’t be trusted. There are few out there who believe that those in charge will make the necessary moves needed to finally end the suffering so as we enter January, Milanisti should not expect much to change.
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