Mazzara: Milan squad still missing ‘a lot’ – why the transfer strategy must change

Despite signing Samuele Ricci and Luka Modric, there is a frustration surrounding AC Milan this summer, due to a lack of business. 

Two signings are done so far, however, the squad is still far from complete. Of course, the window has only just re-opened, and it is not like Milan are unaware of what needs doing, far from it. However, ideas and actions are two different things entirely.

The club may have the idea of signing a certain number of players – reported to be around five or so. However, the work towards that goal is lacking thus far. After last season, excuses cannot be made either.

Speed up Milan

Today, Pietro Mazzara wrote about the feeling emerging from the summer so far for MilanNews, especially with the pace not quickening as the Rossoneri prepare for their pre-season tour.

“Slow pace. This is what’s perceiving outside of Casa Milan regarding the Rossoneri transfer market. Today is Modric’s medical and signing day; the presentation will be later because the Croatian midfielder will then leave for his post-Club World Cup holiday. But everything else is proceeding at an unexpected pace.

“Samuele Ricci is OK, but there’s still a lot missing from the AC Milan squad, and many players will have to leave the club to streamline the group available to Max Allegri, who has made it very clear he doesn’t want an oversized squad to manage.

“And great interest will also be in seeing what kind of formulas this squad will be streamlined, whether Milan will actually be able to cash in on the surplus players or whether, instead, they’ll have to resort to loan deals to postpone the problem for a year. And there are quite a few surplus players.

“There’s no enthusiasm around AC Milan ; it would be surprising if it didn’t. The environmental reset Giorgio Furlani so hoped for in his latest statements hasn’t occurred. Here too, it would have been surprising if it hadn’t.

“The signal coming from the fans, as a whole, is one of great disillusionment with AC Milan’s management style, which doesn’t lead to dreams of €50-60 million signings because the principle of risk diversification and investment remains a must-have in transfer market decisions. Signings like Reijnders or Pulisic don’t always work out, and if, when they do, like Tijjani, it’s not seen as a certain amount, then the doubts of the public (and not only) increase.

“This was what Maldini meant when he publicly said the transfer market needed to be raised. Did he make the wrong statement? Probably, because that’s when he publicly clashed with the owners, but the concept remains alive, with some deviations from the theme.”

Considering what has happened in recent years, the lack of belief is not really a shock. However, there is still time.