What Milan need in the January mercato on the eve of its opening

The Serie A mercato opens tomorrow, and AC Milan certainly needs a few players to arrive. So, we wanted to take a look at who and what is needed.

After last year’s winter mercato, Milan fans may be expecting a lot of action. However, it seems that will not be the case, barring some sort of miracle. Instead, it looks like it’ll be a relatively quiet month with opportunities being needed.

What is needed?

Of course, the first arrival has already arrived, and it is a deal which has received mixed reviews so far. It is, of course, the arrival of Niclas Fullkrug. Ben Dixon and Oli Fisher discussed the move over on Substack, and both were quite opposing in their views.

The German is not the long-term option that Santiago Gimenez was when he arrived last year. Considering how that move has gone, though, that may be a good thing.

So, the focus must then turn to a defender, and the Rossoneri could probably do with at least one central option. It would also be helpful if they were an experienced choice, but that market is certainly a bit limited.

Photo by AC Milan

In fact, the only real option there would be Sergio Ramos, but there are concerns about the wage requests that he may put forward. However, as a proven winner, he would certainly be a useful option, and he could be a big reference point for the younger options.

Adding another young defender doesn’t make sense, given that David Odogu looks likely to depart to gain experience. So, the balance must be right here.

It looks like it could be a tough window, and given the fixtures of the month, things may change at the end of the month. Right now, though, Milan will be working on a pretty strict budget, meaning there will not be chances for luxury depth.

Instead, it will be reinforcing key areas.