3 weeks ago
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Journalist Pietro Mazzara believes that AC Milan’s late scramble to get moves done is reflective of an unclear transfer strategy.
Milan are expected to be very active on the final day of the window, with the likes of Joe Gomez, Adrien Rabiot and Artem Dovbyk believed to be concrete targets, while Alex Jimenez, Yunus Musah and Samuel Chukwueze are among those who can leave.
To many it is reminiscent of the most recent winter window, in which there was a lot of late business done which was perceived as a late scramble to fix some of the gaps in the squad that perhaps should have been addressed earlier in the market.
Late panic
Mazzara has published his weekly column for MilanNews and he spoke a bit about the late moves Milan are expected to make, and why they are not a positive sign. The headline is: ‘A pointless final rush. Rabiot is done, today it’s all about the defender. Santi vs. Dovbyk, who really benefits?’
“Finally, after nearly 13 years, Milan has signed Adrien Rabiot. Those who remember will recall how the Rossoneri tried to sign him when he was a rising talent at Paris Saint-Germain, but to no avail,” he began.
“Last night, after Olympique Marseille’s defeat to Lyon, the certified documents arrived confirming his transfer to the Rossoneri, with the French club accepting the offer made over cocktail hour: €10m including bonuses and a four-year contract for the player.
“The yes came at the end of a long day during which the Milan management also had to deal with the tantrums of his mother, Veronique, who – compared to the initial contacts – proved more co-operative and receptive, especially because Adrien, in Marseille, could no longer remain since he hasn’t reconciled with the club or his team-mates. And to think that all this started over a fight. Crazy.
“Today, Milan will do everything they can to secure Joe Gomez from Liverpool. Konaté’s condition is better than expected after the Arsenal game, and if the Reds sign Crystal Palace’s Guehi (who scored last night against Aston Villa), then Gomez’s transfer to Milan will proceed.
“Allegri is closely monitoring developments, and it remains to be seen whether the Santiago Gimenez situation will be resolved somehow. Yesterday, El Bebote opened up about the possibility of leaving Milan, but the exchange with Roma for Dovbyk has encountered several difficulties, especially regarding the clubs’ formula.
“Milan proposed a loan swap, while Ricky Massara (Roma’s sporting director) wanted to include a buy-out option, but even there, there was considerable discussion because it seems Gasperini was pushing for Gimenez to join and for Dovbyk to leave.
“Today, we’ll see whether the Premier League club, which has been exploring the matter with Rafaela Pimenta, Bebote’s agent, will make a move or not. If Santi were to stay, it would be necessary to rebuild his relationship with Massimiliano Allegri, as well as have a chat with Igli Tare.
“If so, there will be time to sort things out. But would the exchange with Dovbyk really have been worthwhile? Personally, I have my doubts.
“But the question that needs to be addressed, regardless of how the transfer window closes tonight, is why Milan has been forced to make all this cutting and sewing within the squad (Musah, Chukwueze, and Jimenez having left) in the last ten days.
“Can a coach communicate a change in formation (3-4-2-1? 4-2-3-1?) to the club so late? And can a club be forced to make major moves, both technical and financial, in such a short space of time? I don’t think so.
“Emanuele Corazzi, the esteemed editor of Cronache, in an editorial postponed the first assessments of the Rossoneri’s transfer window until the end of September. He’s probably right, but I think Milan’s squad should have been more coherent over time to be able to sign a key player in these days, not three if Gomez also arrives.
“There are some structural doubts, especially on the right flank where Saelemaekers only has the anonymous (for now) Athekame as a backup while on the left Estupinan has Bartesaghi as an alternative and the departure of Alex Jimenez to Bournemouth is a choice that I struggle to understand on a technical level.”
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