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AC Milan are starting to benefit from their summer and winter signings, as highlighted by a report, after six months that were filled with hefty criticism.
As Gazzetta dello Sport points out, the comments from fans and pundits are much less harsh than they used to be, while the criticism is pretty much one. Thanks to a strong January, in which the summer signings contributed a lot, the winds have changed.
One statistic certainly proves this: eight of the Rossoneri’s last nine goals were scored by players who arrived in the summer or in the winter. Igli Tare and co can thus breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now, as Milan remain in the Scudetto race.
Impactful signings, finally…
The pink newspaper has gone through the most impactful signings, taking a look at how they have developed throughout the season and how it has helped Milan…
Christopher Nkunku: Arriving for €37m in the summer, the Frenchman has definitely been the symbol of the struggles. However, in his last six matches, he has scored five goals: the brace against Verona, then the goals against Fiorentina, Como and Bologna.
While three of these have been from the penalty spot, it’s clear that Nkunku has improved his overall involvement in the game. Against Bologna, for example, he constantly got involved and also won the penalty that he converted.
Niclas Füllkrug: Moving on to another striker, many were sceptical about Füllkrug’s arrival. Some fears were perhaps justified after he sustained a broken toe, but the German has powered through despite the obvious setback, scoring the winner against Lecce with his head instead.
Indeed, the most impressive aspect of the striker is his temperament, his spirit of sacrifice, and the fact that he never backs down. Some players would have taken the time off with a broken too, but he’s not one of them…
Koni De Winter: Similarly to Nkunku, there was a lot of criticism for this man initially, and perhaps rightfully so as he failed to live up to the modest €18m price tag. Something has changed in the last few weeks, though, as the month of January was near flawless for him.
Against Roma, furthermore, he scored his first goal for Milan and while it wasn’t enough to get all three points, it was still crucial in preserving the unbeaten run. Considering that the defence has been a big issue numerically, his rise couldn’t have come at a better time.
Adrien Rabiot: This guy needs no explanation, really, as it has been clear to everyone just how important he has been for the team. Nevertheless, the fact that Milan haven’t lost with him on the pitch says a lot, with his first appearance coinciding with the first game of the unbeaten run.
The Frenchman has consistently been a driving force, winning the ball in the defensive phase, making runs in attack to open up space, getting stuck in with his body size, and scoring goals. What more can you ask?
Zachary Athekame and Luka Modric: Gazzetta dello Sport have put these players together as “they were both new and polar opposites in terms of age and experience”. Everyone knew that the Croatian would do well and become a leader.
He scored the winner against Bologna in the first leg and has often played a key part in recovering the ball, not to mention his passing. Athekame, on the other hand, arrived as a rather unknown player but helped avoid the defeat against Pisa with a powerful long-range strike.
Meanwhile, against Bologna on Tuesday, he made life very difficult for them with great cross from the right-hand side. In short, he’s showing fantastic growth and that is very important, as Alexis Saelemaekers can’t start every game.
The rest: Of course, there are other notable mentions here. Samuele Ricci has often done a decent job off the bench and from start, even if he has rarely stood out. Ardon Jashari is also picking up pace after the injury at the start of the season, while Pietro Terracciano has done the job when called upon.
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