Milan's Transferseason round-up

Saturday 3 September, 2011
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MILAN

While most clubs changed radically, Susy Campanale notes Milan made surgical adjustments to their squad

Best signing…
Alberto Aquilani
The former Roma midfielder returns to Serie A on loan with an option to buy for €6m, which is just over a quarter of what Liverpool paid two summers ago. A versatile midfielder who brings creativity and solidity, Aquilani replaces Andrea Pirlo – who funnily enough took over from him at Juventus.

Questionable purchase…
Stephan El Shaarawy
Undoubtedly a talent who shone on loan in Serie B with Padova, it’s unclear why Milan wanted him now. Paying €10m for co-ownership with Genoa is a big investment, but the 18-year-old will barely feature this season. The Little Pharaoh’s development could be stunted.

Value for money…
Antonio Nocerino
It’s not often clubs get to buy current Italian internationals for €500,000, but Adriano Galliani completed a fantastic deadline-scraping swoop for Palermo midfielder Nocerino. The 26-year-old has replaced Gennaro Gattuso in the Azzurri and will do the same in the Rossoneri shirt, especially after Mathieu Flamini’s long-term injury.

The one that got away…
Riccardo Montolivo
The Fiorentina outcast was the original Mr X who dominated transfer headlines all summer, but eventually the Viola held firm in refusing to sell despite the fact his contract expires next year. A more purely creative figure than Aquilani, he was Massimiliano Allegri’s first choice to strengthen the Milan midfield.

They should have signed…
Matias Silvestre
Milan needed someone to begin preparing for life after Alessandro Nesta at centre-back, but Philippe Mexes is a little old and prone to losing his head for that role. The club should’ve brought in Argentine Silvestre from Catania, as he was affordable, impressive and strong in the air.

They’ll miss…
Andrea Pirlo
It will be strange to see a Rossoneri line-up without Pirlo in it after 10 years of running the show. His contract expired and neither party felt particularly inclined to renew, so he joined Juventus for free. Pirlo may not have fit into Allegri’s system, but he remains an icon.

Players in…
Mexes (d, Roma), Taiwo (d, Marseille), Coppola (gk, Siena), El Shaarawy (a, Genoa), Comi (a, Torino), Ferreira (d, Porto), Zigoni (a, Genoa), Aquilani (m, Liverpool), Pele (m, Belenenses), Nocerino (m, Palermo)

Players out…
Pirlo (m, Juventus), Beretta (a, Ascoli), Didac (d, Espanyol), Jankulovski (d, Banik), Papastathopoulos (d, Genoa), Merkel (m, Genoa), Verdi (a, Torino), Oduamadi (a, Torino), Legrottaglie (d, Catania), Albertazzi (d, Getafe), Paloschi (a, Chievo), Strasser (m, Lecce), Oddo (d, Lecce), Ferreira (d, Palermo)

Verdict…
While most clubs radically altered their squads, Scudetto winners Milan opted for surgical adjustments. Aquilani and Nocerino are quality midfield reinforcements, with El Shaarawy one for the future, but the defence still looks a little barren. You can’t say they weren’t parsimonious with free transfers, loans and sharp deals.

http://www.football-italia.net/ftrs/tt-milan.html

My personal opinion:
Aquilani - very nice and necessary coup.
Nocerino - nice coup especially looking at the circumstances
El Shaarawy - weird gamble. Cockblocks a big signing, sends other youngsters to other teams while can't get to CL squad and has a very questionable chance for first-team football. I hope Allegri insisted this and has a plan.
Taiwo + Mexes - good squad additions.

Overall I'd give it /5

It was a weird mercato. Can't really complain, it was efficient. Harsh to call it unambitious, but it wasn't anything spectacular. We just strengthened weak positions for low cash. But players like Taiwo and Nocerino were signed mainly for their inexpensive costs.

Anyway the real blow is not having a proper trequartista. Boateng isn't one. Robinho and Cassano aren't either. Don't know if Aquilani will play there, might work with Seedorf as a CM. So we'll probably rotate that position a lot.

Jasper said:

El Shaarawy - weird gamble. Cockblocks a big signing, sends other youngsters to other teams while can't get to CL squad and has a very questionable chance for first-team football. I hope Allegri insisted this and has a plan.

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Yeah I don't get that signing. So unlike Milan to rush into signing someone. Honestly don't know what to expect. They say he's the future of Italy but then he's not even on the CL list, and it's not like we saw him in pre-season either. Big question marks.

Anyway, so much for the bullshit Berlusconi present. How much did we spend? 8 on Ibra, 7 on Boateng, 0.5 on Nocerino, and how much on El Shaarawy? Contradicting reports. Either way it's not much at all. Smart business. I just can't help but feel a little bit disappointed, we needed a trequartista and perhaps could have gone for a better LB than Taiwo.

3.5 stars.

Some aspects about Milan's transfer strategy and especially Galliani just sickens me. Money just gets thrown away for some "nearly men". Meaning players that do not quite fit the fucking bill. Allegri asks for strengthening in some positions, and Galliani signs 'luxury' players in other positions, then some useless players in the position requested or just ones who aren't ready to play for whatever reason.

Last season, Milan's weakest spot was definitely the LB position. Zambrotta is quality and quality doesn't just vanish, but he can't be expected to perform week-in, week-out. And Antonini is a pile of shit and a footballer by mistake. So any sensible transfer director would firstly look to strengthen the team's weak area. Even Allegri himself requested a left back from Galliani last January.

Instead, Galliani ended up signing Cassano and Van Bommel, and failed to acquire the club's main target: Mimmo Criscito*. So to make up for it, he got Emanuelson who we (i.e. forum people) thought could play LB, fuck I even remember goal.com made a profile about him labeling him Milan's Marcelo. Turns out the fucker can't play LB. And as something extra, Spain's u-20's international Didac Vila was signed as well.

So Galliani failed to fulfill the one task required of him though he did reinforce other areas. Milan continued the season with Zambrotta and Antonini, and the left back continued to be the team's weakest spot by far. In the summer, instead of fixing the left back problem with a quality player, Galliani signs Taiwo for free. Now I have nothing against Taiwo, but if he was any good, why the fuck is Antonini playing ahead of him? He clearly has some issues with his positioning, confidence, and communication with team-mates.

In short: Milan needed a straight away quality left back and instead ended up signing Emanuelson, Didac, and Taiwo in the past 11 months which means Zambrotta and Antonini are still the main players in that position.

I mean, how hard could it be? Fuck, the left back position has been a weak-spot since the Cissokho teeth-extravaganza dilemma. Remember what happened that season? Milan faced United at San Siro with Favalli vs Valencia. Now you'd think they would have fixed it. But noooo, why spend some money on a a quality investment? Instead go buy millions of forwards: Ibra, Robinho, Cassano, El Sharaawy, and even fucking Maxi Lopez. No one cares about the LB position. Why spend on it? It's low profile. Zambrotta is a champion and Antonini is a homegrown boy. Let's go for some CHEAP quick fixes like Emanuelson (left midfielder), Didac (kid), Taiwo (freebie yay!).

Fuck.

*Man what a signing he would have been.

Nocerino was the best signing of the summer :yawn:


bow down to his attractiveness

No way, Aqua is our best signing imo .

Mexes is the best signing big time.

Hope this happens in the summer

Out : Zambro,Ambro,Seedorf,Pippo,Taiwo,Yepes and Gattuso need to leave this summer imo.

In: Asamoah,Armero,Montolivo,Tevez and Mascherano.

We need to give Didac,Strasser a chance to perform.

To be completely honest, I'm excited for the (so far rumored) double sale of Silva and Ibra to the new mini-Milan growing in Paris.

What excites me is not the FM-ish transfer market opportunities, because I don't expect the club to invest even half the fee they'll earn if the rumored transfer(s) goes through. But rather the fact that with a completely brand new crop of players, there will be a lot of hunger in the new kids. The established players don't have half the hunger of the new unproven guys that haven't experienced winning yet but are dying to. Now I'm not one of these guys that believes in throwing four or five primavera kids into the starting line-up and expecting results, because they'd be inexperienced and inconsistent (I'm all for 1 or 2 primavera kids involved in the first team squad though). What excites me are guys like Montolivo or even Acerbi, players with good quality and some experience, but who haven't yet peaked or won anything so they're expected to grow and hopefully win stuff thus turning into established leaders. In that case I'd say the management has done a good job in their recruitment so far.

What the team needs is a mix of balance. In the past the squad consisted mostly of veterans then 2 or 3 players with potential (Oliveira, Flamini, Huntelaar), but now there will be a bit more balance and thus more hunger from the new guys to step up and prove themselves. There are still some of the old guard to 'pass the torch' and teach the new generation the way of Milan like Ambrosini, Abbiati, and Bonera. Some of the players will have to step up now, namely Boateng, Nocerino, Cassano, Flamini and Pato. Add to that 2 or 3 primavera youngsters i.e. Shaarawy, De Sciligo, and Didac, and one or two new players ready to peak to go along with Montolivo and Acerbi. Who knows how will Traore and Constant turn out as well...

Of course these signings are sort of gambles so things could indeed go wrong. But that's where the management have to be smart in their choices. But it's very exciting, it has a huge upside. Frankly I'm fed up of watching overpaid rejects with 'big names' sleep walk their way through the season. I'm excited about watching some new unproven players with potential grow into a team and hopefully win together, thus transforming into world class players like the generation of 2003-2007 that the management did their best to milk every ounce of football out of them.

excellent fiero ..

next year will be exciting not easy, A hungry, new, and not so good team it would be like falling in love again. so much pain, so much uncertainties but so much possibilities

With one man to control them all on the pitch

So, a LE qualification would be a success this season.

Fiero said:

To be completely honest, I'm excited for the (so far rumored) double sale of Silva and Ibra to the new mini-Milan growing in Paris.

What excites me is not the FM-ish transfer market opportunities, because I don't expect the club to invest even half the fee they'll earn if the rumored transfer(s) goes through. But rather the fact that with a completely brand new crop of players, there will be a lot of hunger in the new kids. The established players don't have half the hunger of the new unproven guys that haven't experienced winning yet but are dying to. Now I'm not one of these guys that believes in throwing four or five primavera kids into the starting line-up and expecting results, because they'd be inexperienced and inconsistent (I'm all for 1 or 2 primavera kids involved in the first team squad though). What excites me are guys like Montolivo or even Acerbi, players with good quality and some experience, but who haven't yet peaked or won anything so they're expected to grow and hopefully win stuff thus turning into established leaders. In that case I'd say the management has done a good job in their recruitment so far.

What the team needs is a mix of balance. In the past the squad consisted mostly of veterans then 2 or 3 players with potential (Oliveira, Flamini, Huntelaar), but now there will be a bit more balance and thus more hunger from the new guys to step up and prove themselves. There are still some of the old guard to 'pass the torch' and teach the new generation the way of Milan like Ambrosini, Abbiati, and Bonera. Some of the players will have to step up now, namely Boateng, Nocerino, Cassano, Flamini and Pato. Add to that 2 or 3 primavera youngsters i.e. Shaarawy, De Sciligo, and Didac, and one or two new players ready to peak to go along with Montolivo and Acerbi. Who knows how will Traore and Constant turn out as well...

Of course these signings are sort of gambles so things could indeed go wrong. But that's where the management have to be smart in their choices. But it's very exciting, it has a huge upside. Frankly I'm fed up of watching overpaid rejects with 'big names' sleep walk their way through the season. I'm excited about watching some new unproven players with potential grow into a team and hopefully win together, thus transforming into world class players like the generation of 2003-2007 that the management did their best to milk every ounce of football out of them.

Click to expand...

Totally agreed that it is exciting. I was similarly excited in 2009 when Carlo, Maldini and Kaka left. More so the first two, because all my Milan fandom years have featured them.. I even had a small period of a week or two when I wondered whether I loved Ancelotti too much to ever support Milan the way I used to. That passed eventually.

Yes, the beginning of a fresh project is brilliant.. 2009 was a false dawn, as Leonardo's limitations led Galliani to go for quick-fix short-term success (Possible to save his job) and bring in Zlatan.

Despite not being entirely convinced by Allegri, he's clearly much better than Leonardo. But will he be able to build a team from base upwards without Senatori or Zlatan? Huge challenge for sure.

The one worry that I do have is that Ambrosini will leave next season. Which basically means that the most Milan-senior guy around then would be Pato. (And Bonera).. I hope he would be integral to the squad by then.

Fiero said:

Of course these signings are sort of gambles so things could indeed go wrong. But that's where the management have to be smart in their choices. But it's very exciting, it has a huge upside. Frankly I'm fed up of watching overpaid rejects with 'big names' sleep walk their way through the season. I'm excited about watching some new unproven players with potential grow into a team and hopefully win together, thus transforming into world class players like the generation of 2003-2007 that the management did their best to milk every ounce of football out of them.

Click to expand...

I agree here. As I wrote in Ibra thread I like it if that means Galliani is getting real and making a team/model we can afford. I like this way specially long term... A more sustainable Milan, one that can move with his own legs and be sustained by the fans, and this is what I favor long term (unlike many people who insult Silvio, but what they actually want is just another Silvio - one willing to blindly pay debts).

It's nice to build around stars when you have Real Madrid/City money and can bring whoever you want... And when they flop you just get ride of them and buy the next one. No trouble there.

But it sucks when you're a poor man version of it, you don't have money and you need to stick with them. You don't get the stars you want, you get declining players, their motivational/tactical shortcuts hurt the team, you still pay them a lot... Milan after 2007 only got one Scudetto to talk about - in 5 years, and those teams were top paid, just like the 2002-7 squads. It's really time to try something different.

I'm also intrigued by the motivation/hunger factor. We already know that some of the old guard are top guys. And players like Monty, Traore, Acerbi, Constant and the young ones, they're facing the challenge of a life, their (maybe only) chance to make it in a big club and they'll try everything to achieve it. Even some of our stars have a lot to prove now - Pato for ex has a World of doubters to challenge this season.
Allegri will be a key figure here. This squad will be a lot under his control (for the bad or for the good) and I've a gut feeling it will suit more his style.


Though all of that will be pointless if Galliani don't buy the players to replace Ibra and Thiago and reinforce the whole team now. Cause Milan can't even dream about missing CL football.

Sven said:

I agree here. As I wrote in Ibra thread I like it if that means Galliani is getting real and making a team/model we can afford. I like this way specially long term... A more sustainable Milan, one that can move with his own legs and be sustained by the fans, and this is what I favor long term (unlike many people who insult Silvio, but what they actually want is just another Silvio - one willing to blindly pay debts).

It's nice to build around stars when you have Real Madrid/City money and can bring whoever you want... And when they flop you just get ride of them and buy the next one. No trouble there.

But it sucks when you're a poor man version of it, you don't have money and you need to stick with them. You don't get the stars you want, you get declining players, their motivational/tactical shortcuts hurt the team, you still pay them a lot... Milan after 2007 only got one Scudetto to talk about - in 5 years, and those teams were top paid, just like the 2002-7 squads. It's really time to try something different.

I'm also intrigued by the motivation/hunger factor. We already know that some of the old guard are top guys. And players like Monty, Traore, Acerbi, Constant and the young ones, they're facing the challenge of a life, their (maybe only) chance to make it in a big club and they'll try everything to achieve it. Even some of our stars have a lot to prove now - Pato for ex has a World of doubters to challenge this season.
Allegri will be a key figure here. This squad will be a lot under his control (for the bad or for the good) and I've a gut feeling it will suit more his style.


Though all of that will be pointless if Galliani don't buy the players to replace Ibra and Thiago and reinforce the whole team now. Cause Milan can't even dream about missing CL football.

Click to expand...

Pretty much my whole POV.

Agree with Fiero too.

I don't think milans finances make it so it's impossible to compete for ucl's and win serie A. It just means milan has to be smarter with it's money.


It can't just be a kid in th candy store going I WANT THAT. They need to evaluate pragmatically, and intelligently.

That's been my biggest issue. Management has come across VERY lazy the last 5 years. Learn to develop, buy shrewd, keep wage bill sustainable, splurge when it's the right time (you see a kid who is on the verge). And lets be fair, as fans we love these more... be it a kaka or boateng or pirlo or gattuso etc. Players who made their global name at milan. Not someone else's star.

You always feel more attachment to a thiago silva than a zlatan. Before Milan Thiago was a budding star in south america, unproven on european/global stage. Zlatan was already a household name with rival clubs.

nice posts guys

when it will sink in.. I will be very sad for Silva ... very very sad .. finally we had a great CB yeah this is life and its a friday

they should listen to allegri and sign who he wants, can't have galliani pushing for players allegri doesn't want.

I'm sure Milan will sign replacements, the quality is where I'm doubtful, replacing thiago is almost impossible, to improve the defense, the defensive aspects of the midfield and the back four needs to improve.

i.e BUY MIDFIELDERS WHO CAN TACKLE/COVER!

piss off sage you whine no matter what

Ashish said:

piss off sage you whine no matter what

Click to expand...

yes its pay day on country bar .. glasses are going to break stay away

im beginning to agree with ashish plan.

use all our money to buy ramires... 4-6-0

Nocerino---Traore---Ramires

Constant--Montolivo--Flamini

Antonini--acerbi--mexes--abate
-------------Abbiati

Ashish said:

nice posts guys

when it will sink in.. I will be very sad for Silva ... very very sad .. finally we had a great CB yeah this is life and its a friday

Click to expand...

Finally? I think we have had at least one great CB (understatement of the year) for the past 30 years .

I am a new fan. Brazilian too

Ashish said:

I am a new fan. Brazilian too

Click to expand...

Oh then. I should present you one of the great CBs of Milan's history



He's brazilian too

Sven said:

I agree here. As I wrote in Ibra thread I like it if that means Galliani is getting real and making a team/model we can afford. I like this way specially long term... A more sustainable Milan, one that can move with his own legs and be sustained by the fans, and this is what I favor long term (unlike many people who insult Silvio, but what they actually want is just another Silvio - one willing to blindly pay debts).

It's nice to build around stars when you have Real Madrid/City money and can bring whoever you want... And when they flop you just get ride of them and buy the next one. No trouble there.

But it sucks when you're a poor man version of it, you don't have money and you need to stick with them. You don't get the stars you want, you get declining players, their motivational/tactical shortcuts hurt the team, you still pay them a lot... Milan after 2007 only got one Scudetto to talk about - in 5 years, and those teams were top paid, just like the 2002-7 squads. It's really time to try something different.

I'm also intrigued by the motivation/hunger factor. We already know that some of the old guard are top guys. And players like Monty, Traore, Acerbi, Constant and the young ones, they're facing the challenge of a life, their (maybe only) chance to make it in a big club and they'll try everything to achieve it. Even some of our stars have a lot to prove now - Pato for ex has a World of doubters to challenge this season.
Allegri will be a key figure here. This squad will be a lot under his control (for the bad or for the good) and I've a gut feeling it will suit more his style.


Though all of that will be pointless if Galliani don't buy the players to replace Ibra and Thiago and reinforce the whole team now. Cause Milan can't even dream about missing CL football.

Click to expand...

Exactly. Gattuso was playing in Salernitana when Milan bought him, Pirlo was a failure at Inter, Ambrosini came as youngster from Cesena... these guys grew here, before Milan they weren't proven. Even some valuable squad players over the years like Serginho or Kaladze or Brocchi, they may have never become world class but they were an integral part of the squad, and grew (in football terms) in Milan. Rui was world class but he hadn't won much with Fiorentina, Inzaghi was thrown away by Juventus and Seedorf had seemingly lost his way...

Sometimes it's necessary to get stop-gap short term acquisitions like Stam or Cafu or Van Bommel, but that's when the squad is already world class and just needs minor fixes. Now Milan is in a building phase and what's needed is new Rinos, new Ambros, and new Serginhos... just guys with quality that have the potential and hunger to grow together. Experience wins and defeats, and become a TEAM.

--

Ibra's sale especially makes room for exciting opportunities. Yes he's world class but his presence does limit the team. He has to be the focal point, and the team becomes Ibra+10. Now with his sale the team might struggle initially as he was basically carrying it on his shoulders, but it gives room for the growth of the rest as a team. I hate being dependent on one player. Last season especially (because Pato, Boateng, and Cassano were in the medical room), if you take Ibra out the team would have collapsed.

All balls had to go through him, and all attacking moves were based off him. Now I'm not criticizing him because he was always a 10 for Milan, I'm just saying, long term this benefits the team more. Especially that he's 30 and off the best season of his career.

I think Ibra was in a way Pirlo's replacement. As the playmaker, and focal point. Shut him down and Milan are done for.

Now Thiago Silva's transfer is the one that in terms of football would be a major loss, but hey the team needs money. Juventus sold Zidane, United sold Cristiano, life goes on...

^^^ 110% true.

AC Ibra is over now. Maybe if we got him in 2006, We'd have at least 2 more Scudetti and maybe one more CL, but in 2012 we can afford to lose him.

And I think everyone knows that we lose TS because of money. They're paying 40 for a 28 yo CB, which I think could be a record maybe, so It's another Kaka-Sheva thing.

I dont mind these two loses, mainly because we are scrapping something big off the wage bill, but we should really be looking at upcoming prospects that are hungry for success, instead of going for rejected big players like we have been doing for a while now.

next season will be allegri test of briliant..cant wait to see

Jivara said:

I dont mind these two loses, mainly because we are scrapping something big off the wage bill, but we should really be looking at upcoming prospects that are hungry for success, instead of going for rejected big players like we have been doing for a while now.

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This can be one of the positives in making wage bill affordable limited to what we can pay.
So we can have some real cash flow and flexibility to spend money on the 10~15M rising guys instead of be forced to look for either free players or marketable stars.

investing into 10-15 million relatively young players is always good. if they dont work out we can always sell
hunty
borri
gou - 2 million
silva
boa

WE COULD HAVE SOLD FLAMINI TO LYON 2 YEARS AGO
robi was wrong

Ashish said:

investing into 10-15 million relatively young players is always good. if they dont work out we can always sell
hunty
borri
gou - 2 million
silva
boa

WE COULD HAVE SOLD FLAMINI TO LYON 2 YEARS AGO
robi was wrong

Click to expand...

Development of kids in Italy is dreadful cause of the system. Primavera is matter of lucky most of all.
On the other side Milan has a very decent track record of developing those guys hitting their peaks into great players.

I am not talking about kids from primavera .. i want to poach almost stars

oh i read the second line

Sven said:

This can be one of the positives in making wage bill affordable limited to what we can pay.
So we can have some real cash flow and flexibility to spend money on the 10~15M rising guys instead of be forced to look for either free players or marketable stars.

Click to expand...

I wonder if they will ever change the Primavera system into a Milan B team, the way they do in Spain for example. There is a lot of good talent come out of Italy, but they take way longer than Spain for example to become used to big game situations.