CM: Ake, Disasi and wing-back doubts – the other sub-plots in Milan’s quiet window

AC Milan closed the winter transfer window with only one first-team signing, but it was not for the want of trying.

As Calciomercato.com recall, Milan signed Niclas Füllkrug from West Ham on the first day of the window having lined the deal up ahead of time. Alphadjo Cissè also joined from Hellas Verona, but he will remain out on loan and is more an addition for the future.

The other deals explored

Igli Tare had no budget for a central defender and had a difficult mission to accomplish: seeking the best possible opportunity with no cost up front, so basically any target had to arrive on loan with an option to buy at most.

The sporting director tried hard to secure Nathan Aké, but Pep Guardiola completely shut down the deal with no room for reconsideration. The Dutch defender was the favorite on a list that also included Federico Gatti and Radu Drăgușin, but neither Juventus nor Tottenham were open to loans.

Axel Disasi deserves a separate mention: Milan could easily have closed the deal with Chelsea, but after thorough internal evaluation, they decided not to proceed with any move for the ex-Monaco man. So, no central defender arrived.

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

Milan also weighed up signing an alternative to Alexis Saelemaekers, but in the end they placed trust in Zachary Athekame. This is clearly a financial evaluation, because some of the names linked (like Brooke Norton-Cuffy) would have required a big investment.

The ongoing physical problems of Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao raised alarm bells for the attack, which is why Giorgio Furlani closed the Mateta deal with Crystal Palace for €32m in less than 48 hours. It seemed all done, then it all suddenly stopped.

The condition of the striker’s knee didn’t convince Milan’s medical staff, who flew to Paris for further assessments. The club didn’t want to risk anything financially, while there are question marks about the lack of a Plan B.

It was a strange window, with some fans thinking the club could have done more to support Allegri, who now has to make do with what he had, plus Füllkrug and minus the injured forwards.