‘I only had one: Higuain’ – Allegri responds to question on Milan’s striker conundrum

Massimiliano Allegri provided a fascinating response when asked about AC Milan potentially needing a new striker.

Milan went into the season with only Santiago Gimenez as a recognised striker, but he has missed the last few games due to injury and he is yet to score a league goal. It seems that Allegri’s vision was and remains to have Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic up front, both of whom are natural wingers.

There have been suggestions that the Milan boss has asked for a target man in the January window to give him a more direct option. Names like Jean-Philippe Mateta and Mateo Pellegrino are being floated, but until then Allegri must work with what he has.

‘A question of characteristics’

The former Juventus boss spoke to the reporters who gathered at Milanello for his pre-match press conference on the eve of the trip to Piedmont, and he was asked If there is an ideal striker for this Milan side.

“We’ve talked about it many times. Of true centre-forwards between Juventus and Milan, but also at Cagliari, I only had one: Higuain. Mandzukic was varied, he also played left wing,” he said.

Photos by Lars Baron/Getty Images and AC Milan

“Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Cassano, and Pato… Ibra was much better at sending the others forward, he became a centre-forward in his old age. It’s a question of characteristics, I have to try to put them in the best possible conditions.

“The important thing, however, is to score goals. Right now, two of the four forwards we have have scored 10 goals, we need goals from Nkunku, Gimenez, the midfielders, and the defenders.

“At the end of the season, to be there you have to score a certain number of goals and concede fewer. I’ve never seen a team win or finish in the top positions with a minimal goal difference, and that’s mathematically.”