I have mixed feelings about this mercato.
I love players like Bakayoko and/or Kessie. Big, strong, aggresive, always running. But you can't build a team around players like them - they need to be an addition, not a foundation. Their style of play is too chaotic and because of that it's difficult for attackers to match their intentions.
I believe that a team based on 11 black and disciplined players will always be better than a team based on 11 white and disciplined players, and while modern football is more and more physicall Kessie/Bakayoko kind of players are the future.
BUT.
In italian football running like a headless chicken doesn't have a future. You need to be smart and far-sighted, not just tough.
I can't see Kessie and Bakayoko playing together for the benefit of the team. They're too chaotic on the pitch and any disciplined team in league - so basically any other team besides maybe Frosinone and/or Parma - will gain the control in the central area with both of them on the pitch.
My point is we need next to Kesie/Bakayoko someone smart, someone with good technique and creativity. Without someone like that we won't organize our play in central area well enough to control the ball.
We all know - but maybe not all of us will admit that to themselves - that Biglia isn't someone like that, he flopped massively and we can't rely on him in his shape from last... I don't know, 12 months? He was a disaster against Real and don't be naive, he won't be any better in the future. He has never been, being decent in perfectly organised Lazio machine doesn't mean he would be as good in a different team.
Putting him next to Kessie or Bakayoko in two men midfield - or next to both of them in 3 men midfield - is a recipe for disaster. Of course it looks great on the paper, but in reality Biglia can't manage his own moves on the pitch, not to mention controlling two bulls like them. Maybe, maybe in the future Locatelli would be a regista we need for now. Maybe Montolivo is. I don't know. What is certain - Biglia isn't a man we need.
Theferore as much as I love Bakayoko's style of play I don't think he is the man we need for now. I'd prefer Kucka over him - for now of course - because even if Slovakian is a worse player (and he is) he is more disciplined.
With all that said I'm not a fan of SMS transfer either. Of course he is a good player, but:
a. Is he as good as we all think he is? Do you remember Biglia from his Lazio times? He was a piece of a perfectly organised machine - and because of that he was able to play better than his potential would allow. I'm sure that SMS is another chapter of this story - he won't play the same in Milan, and certainly not from the start.
b. Do we need this kind of midfielder? I'm not sure. We already have Kessie and probably Bakayoko. SMS isn't that creative to use him on AMC position. I'd prefer someone like Hakan to strenghten the midfield, not him. Not after Bakayoko move.
c. Do we have enough money to strenghten all positions we need? Of course midfield needs reinforcements, but we need wingers as well - maybe even more. Borini is a nice guy, but let's not pretend he can play football. He can't. He lacks basic skills. And for now he is our 3rd winger!
I know that SMS is a mission impossible move and probably he won't come - all I say is we shouldn't be focusing on him at all. We need a winger (in the best scenario - we need two, both RW and LW) - and a mezz'ala able to play on both AMC and LMC positions, someone with better flair and creativity than SMS.
Then and only then we should look for someone like SMS.
In my opinion SMS is another Higuain style of transfer. Don't get me wrong, Higuain is far better than our other options in attack, but that's not an issue. Higuain (and SMS too) is a player who you buy when you're fighting for scudetto, and we're not doing that. We want to get to the 4rd spot and therefore we shouldn't be doing luxurious transfer without solving our biggest issues first. When you have a choice to buy a dinner or to buy a new suit a smart man is going to sleep well-fed, not well-suited. And for now with Higuain (and not Bacca i.e.) we're well suited, but still hungry on several positions.
Unfortunately what I'm certain we'll all see is that Leonardo & co will go after SMS with all costs and maybe even they'll get him - it won't change as much as we think. The worst scenario is our week-long attempt to get him ended up with a failure and a desperate pursuit for anyone else in last hours of mercato, when prices are higher and options are limited.
, Suso, Bonaventura, Calhanoglu, Kessie, Cutrone, Paqueta, Bakayo
