Ambrosini questions Milan’s centre-back strategy: “Why not sign Leoni?”

Massimo Ambrosini believes that AC Milan made a big mistake by not going for Giovanni Leoni after selling Malick Thiaw to Newcastle.

Thiaw’s sale to Newcastle was made official earlier in the summer, and Milan will get around €40m from the departure of the German as per reliable reports. Instead of going for a starter-level signing for a similar price tag, they chose to go for Koni De Winter, who arrived from Genoa for €20m.

De Winter is still yet to play for Milan under Massimiliano Allegri while the three remaining central defenders – Strahinja Pavlovic, Matteo Gabbia and Fikayo Tomori – remain under starters’ orders. The late addition of David Odogu has left some to question the strategy.

‘For the fans’

Ambrosini spoke on the Cronache di Spogliatoio YouTube channel and he revealed his bafflement regarding why Milan did not seem to even try for Leoni, with his comments via MilanPress.

“Milan sell Thiaw for €42m, but why not sign Leoni? Liverpool paid €35 ​m for him, but it’s still more of a gamble, because you paid €10m for Odogu [same age]. But you’re also making a splash for the atmosphere, for the fans,” he said.

“He’s a young, Italian lad, who’s done well anyway. In football, people talk about him. Andrea Pirlo told me on the second day of training that the lad was strong, and several other people later confirmed his qualities.”