Double blow from Chelsea: Rossoneri ready to spend 26 million plus bonuses. Casting forward: the blue and Morata first on the list
blue. Translated into English, sad. To combat Tonali’s farewell sadness, Milan fans can think of two players on the way. They are two Blues, two Chelsea players: Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic. Loftus-Cheek is a midfielder, he’s English, he can play as a midfielder, as a central defender in a two-man department and, why not, as an atypical attacking midfielder. He has something of Milinkovic, the ideal player for Pioli, but he costs less because he is less strong and more fragile. However, the quality-price ratio is very interesting: 16 million plus bonuses, a practically defined agreement with Chelsea. Christian Pulisic instead for Pioli can play as an attacking midfielder and as a winger, on the right and on the left. An attacking joker. There is no agreement for Pulisic yet but Milan are aiming to close a 10 million plus bonus deal, for a purchase that is a symbol of the RedBird era: Christian is American like the owner fund of Milan. It’s normal that times are different: if Loftus-Cheek will be closed soon, let’s say before the weekend, for Pulisic we have to wait for the negotiations to be completed. Probably everything will be postponed to next week, with Pulisic willing to reduce his salary.
One two three
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The signal, however, is clear, Milan sends a message to Italy: “Let’s begin”. The structure headed by the CEO Giorgio Furlani and the chief scout Geoffrey Moncada entered the scene three weeks ago and in these 20 days he has activated contacts, pushed on players not so appreciated by Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara. This is the first concrete response: Loftus-Cheek will be the first arrival of the new course, Pulisic will follow if all goes as planned, Tijjani Reijnders from Az is a candidate to be next on the list, Yunus Musah likes him but Milan have never talked to Valencia. We will see. However, the Milan fans look around and think one inevitable thought: yes, but what about the attacker?
The two 9 favourites
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It will take some time but Milan put their ideas in line. Marcus Thuram’s no, who chose Inter, inevitably displaced. However, a new phase has begun and the first two names on the list are clear: Gianluca Scamacca and Alvaro Morata. Scamacca is 24 years old and can join West Ham on loan. His first English season didn’t go well and Gianluca would gladly return to Italy. About him, discussions underway in Milan: to understand how much he could give and, of course, how much it would cost. Alvaro Morata lives in an opposite condition: he is thirty years old and in his last season at Atletico Madrid he scored 15 goals, a classic for him which has had impressive continuity for ten years. Never a serial striker, never a disappointing season. The race has just begun for both him and Scamacca: in the next few days it will be time for meetings and discussions on the numbers of the two operations.
The other 9
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Pioli’s idea is to alternate between two different strikers: a box man like Giroud and a slightly different player. The situation is evolving, other names are in the running and new ideas are likely to take over. Mehdi Taremi, Porto’s Iranian number 9, is liked because he scores, is bad when needed, has a contract expiring in 2024 which keeps Porto’s demands low (but not very low). Problem: he is non-EU and Milan, after Loftus-Cheek, will only have one slot for the “extras”. A place he would gladly give to Samuel Chukwueze, number 1 on the wish list on the right, without forgetting that Daichi Kamada has had an agreement with Milan for some time. Thus, that exception is unlikely to be spent on Taremi. So, pay attention to the surprises in attack, to the Lukaku case which remains open and to Jonathan David, 24 goals against Lille in the last Ligue1: it costs a lot, almost certainly too much, but Milan have liked it for some time.
Two on the way
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Milan, meanwhile, can take a liking to it and accelerate with announcements. Here we are at certainties. Marco Sportiello, the second designated goalkeeper, will undergo medical tests during the day. Tomorrow, however, a meeting is scheduled with the agent of Luka Romero, eighteen years old, free from Lazio, who can arrive as a young signing, to be given a place as an alternative on the right. If all goes as expected, both will soon be smiling with a red and black background. Looking at the team photo, however, one feels a sense of vertigo. Milan, between incoming and outgoing operations, risks reaching 15-20 announcements. If you go to the beach, don’t forget your phone.
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