Italian football announced earlier this month that teams will now be able to return to training, albeit with the proviso that only individual training sessions will be allowed. Sassuolo, who played the last Serie A game before the coronavirus pandemic halted the season, were the first to return to training. During the break, AC Milan have been busy figuring out how to return to their past glory, and here is a look at some key players whose decision to stay or leave in the summer could affect the club’s future.
While rivals Inter have gone from strength to strength in the last few years, Milan seem to have fallen away, and the stat of having eight managers in the last six years perhaps clearly illustrates the turmoil the Rossoneri are in. Gennaro Gattuso announced his departure in May last year and his replacement, Marco Giampaolo, lasted just three months before being shown the door. Stefano Piolo is currently in charge of affairs, but many are unsure whether he will still be in the hotseat come the summer.
Movement upfront in Milan?
Goals have certainly been a big issue for Milan this season. They have scored the fewest of any side in the top ten, and even mid table sides like Genoa and Fiorentina and relegation threatened Lecce have found the back of the net more frequently than the Rossoneri.
When it comes to fan favourites, few can come close to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His return to AC Milan was another step in a stunning playing career and the 38-year-old veteran has finally shed some light on his future at Milan – if he chooses to stay, it’s an interesting prospect – he brings experience, quality and an obvious presence, scoring 4 in his first 10 games upon returning, more than the duo of Samu Castillejo and Rafael Leao (who cost 53 million euros in transfer fees) put together. However, with Milan lingering in 7th place this season, does retaining his services justify his salary? His decision could seriously affect the odds on the Rossoneri in Serie A next season. For AC Milan, anything less than Europa League is unacceptable – it will be interesting to see whether he stays, or club Executive Ivan Gazidis looks elsewhere to bring the injection of goals they desperately need.
There is also talk of making Ante Rebic’s loan deal a permanent one a year early, and with Krzysztof Piatek having left the club, Milan will be hoping that Castillejo and Leao, both signed last summer, will improve on their meagre returns soon.
A safe pair of hands
The departure of Patrick Cutrone back in July was something of blindside move for some Milan fans. A product of their academy – he had all the makings of a homegrown star – only to leave at 21. He was not the only rising talent in the Milanese Calcio- goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has also been a revelation. Donnarumma remaining at the San Siro long-term is difficult to guarantee at such an early stage in his career. However, the outcome can realistically go three ways: he could extend his contract, be sold and the money invested in replacing, or be sold and an internal replacement is found (likely Pepe Reina returning from loan). It’s important not to underestimate Donnarumma’s importance to AC Milan – losing him would mean surrendering a very young starlet who could serve as a quality keeper for potentially a decade or more – it’s difficult to put a price on that.
There is also the small matter of his elder brother Antonio, who also doubles up as the club’s reserve keeper, and is contracted till the summer of 2021. He also has Mino as his agent, which also complicates matters a little!
Will Rangnick arrive in the summer?
German manager Ralf Rangnick has revealed he had talks with AC Milan but acknowledged he would need a ‘degree of control’ if he took over at the San Siro. With experience at Hannover, Schalke (twice), TSG Hoffenheim and Leipzig, he would bring a degree of stability to the club which, by all accounts, has been lacking in recent years.
There’s however been talks of unrest among the Milan management team with sources claiming that Paolo Maldini, a club legend himself, would leave if Rangnick was brought in. Zvonimir Boban has already been shown the door following a fall-out with Gazidis two months ago, and it remains to be seen whether the latter ends up presiding over a major management overhaul this summer.