Giacomo Bonaventura
Giacomo Bonaventura established himself as Milan’s key player. Having arrived at the club from Atalanta in 2014, he has gradually worked his way into a regular starting position, and has starred in the process.
In 2015-16, the lithe attacking midfielder earned an excellent 7.39 average rating according to WhoScored.com. With six goals and eight assists to his name, he had a direct hand in more of his team’s goals than anyone else apart from Carlos Bacca.
What makes the above statistic all the more impressive is the fact that Bonaventura wasn't able to settle in one particular area of the field, primarily because Milan went through various formations last season under two different head coaches in Sinisa Mihajlovic and Cristian Brocchi.
Initially, the versatile player was utilised on the left of a central-midfield three in a 4-3-1-2 shape, though when that formation was scrapped for a 4-3-3, he was moved to the left wing. He remained on that flank when the Rossoneri moved to a 4-4-2, but towards the end of the campaign he was used in the trequartista role in a diamond midfield.
Despite the frequent alterations, Bonaventura maintained a good level of consistency in his performances. The quality of his displays were so high that several clubs outside of Italy, including some Premier League sides and Atletico Madrid, showed interest in him, as reported byCalciomercato.
Milan struggled to score goals throughout 2015-16, achieving their lowest tally since 2001-02. With that in mind, it is imperative they do not lose their chief creative influence this summer.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnarumma began last season as a youth-team player, but he ended it as a crucial component of Milan’s first team.
The 17-year-old took over the goalkeeping position from an increasingly jittery Diego Lopez and provided an assurance between the posts that wasn’t there before. His imposing 6’5” frame was married with an improving maturity, confidence and decision-making, ensuring the Rossoneri had a formidable last line of defence.
Donnarumma is far from the finished article; his distribution needs some work and he retains an edginess when coming for crosses. Though he developed both of these aspects as his debut term went on, and he has a lot of time to work on them.
Per Squawka.com, he was the sixth-best goalkeeper in Serie A in 2015-16, while Mihajlovic described him as “a jewel for Milan and the future of Italian football,” per Goal. Those were big words, but they are not without substance.
The teenager’s selection had the risk of being viewed as a gimmick, a call made by an under-pressure manager, but it turned out to be inspired. He may well be young but, regardless of his age, Donnarumma stands out for his ability.
In certain matches, such as the 0-0 draw at home to Atalanta and the 2-1 defeat away to Verona, his reactions and shot-stopping were second to none. On each of those occasions he was almost single-handedly responsible for keeping his team in the game.
According to Calciomercato, scouts from Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have all visited the San Siro to watch Donnarumma in action. Milan should do everything in their power to ensure the player remains committed to the club.
Manuel Locatelli
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According to Milan’s former head of scouting Mauro Bianchessi, as cited by the Guardian’s Paolo Bandini, Manuel Locatelli is “A bit (Andrea) Pirlo and a bit (Riccardo) Montolivo. He can be the next captain of Milan.”
On the back of such praise, Milanisti were understandably excited to hear of the 18-year-old’s promotion from primavera to first team last season. And it didn’t take long for the youngster to win his first start for the club.
Unfortunately, Locatelli’s full debut didn’t quite go to plan. On the final day of the Serie A season, at home to Roma, he struggled to assert himself upon the game. He gave the ball away, was unable to dictate the tempo and found himself flustered by the continuous movement of the Giallorossi. After picking up a yellow card, he earned a disappointing 6.14 rating from WhoScored.
It was a harsh beginning for the teenager, but he has shown enough in brief glimpses to suggest he has potential to compete for a first-team place next season. However, Milan must first secure his future. According to Simone Gambino of Goal, Arsenal are interested in the player and have made preliminary contact with his agent.
Confident and with good ball control, Locatelli could find himself challenging for the deep-lying midfield berth soon if the Rossoneri keep hold of him, especially considering the role’s current occupant, Montolivo, is now 31 years of age.
M’Baye Niang
2015-16 saw M’Baye Niang re-establish himself as a key player in Milan’s future. Having spent the last six months of the previous campaign on loan at Genoa, the Frenchman returned reinvigorated and struck up a good strike partnership with Carlos Bacca.
In 16 league appearances he found the net five times and assisted four, all while showing smooth dribbling skills, audacity and a fine work rate. The 21-year-old also proved himself to be flexible, playing in a variety of positions across the front line.
Unfortunately, Niang’s season was effectively ended by injuries sustained in a car accident. He subsequently missed the final 11 league games, only returning for the Coppa Italia final, in which he came off the substitutes’ bench towards the end of normal time.
It was no coincidence that, while he was out, his team’s league form suffered; Milan’s record in those 11 games was: two wins, four draws and five defeats. Furthermore, they scored just 10 goals in his absence.
Evidently, Niang is integral to the Rossoneri’s attacking effectiveness. But his recent off-field behaviour could jeopardise his future.
According to Calciomercato, recent footage of the player jumping off the roof of his home into his backyard swimming pool could lead to disciplinary action, and may alert the likes of West Ham and Leicester, who have been linked to his signature before.
Alessio Romagnoli
According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), Milan recently turned down a €30 million offer from Barcelona for Alessio Romagnoli. It’s just as well; the 21-year-old has become the key man in the team’s defensive line.
Last term was his first in Rossoneri colours, but the youngster dealt well with the pressures of playing for one of Italy’s historically most successful sides. He seemed to mature as a physical presence while also developing into a core part of the team’s build-up play, stepping out from the back to start attacks with precise passes.
Romagnoli’s improvements in those areas are shown statistically bySquawka’s data. Compared to the previous season, per 90 minutes he won more aerial duels, while also obtaining a better pass completion percentage and contributing more key passes.
The youngster is one of the most promising centre-backs in the world today and Milan would be wise not only to keep him, but to build their back line around him.