Important times lie ahead for AC Milan. There is an
urgent need for positive change at the club following a third consecutive
season of failure.
The 2015-16 campaign began with grand ambitions. SinisaMihajlovic was
hired as the team’s new head coach and there was heavy investment in the squad.
Indeed, per Transfermarkt.co.uk,
theRossoneri spent £58.07 million net—more than any other Serie A
club—on new players.
Subsequently, club president Silvio Berlusconi set
high targets. “Absolutely, yes we can (win the league),” he told a news
conference, per ESPN FC's
Ben Gladwell. “You have got to start with the idea of being able to win it.
With this Milan that we are giving Mihajlovic ... we absolutely
have the characteristics and quality to compete withJuventus.”
But, in the following
months, those plans unravelled rapidly.rio Pennicino/Getty Images
Mihajlovic was sacked as his Milan played dour football and
struggled to keep hold of a top-six spot, something they eventually lost to Sassuolo. And the
promotion of formerPrimavera coach Cristian Brocchididn’t turn the
team’s fortunes around as they finished seventh in Serie A, lost the Coppa Italiafinal
to Juventus and missed out on European football for a third straight
year as a result.
Reasons behind the club’s continual underperformance had
almost run out. Berlusconi had changed managers and players but
ultimately had once again been unable to inspire a revival in the team’s ailing
fortunes. A change in ownership became the next logical solution to consider.
In April, the possibility of Milan being sold to a Chinese
consortium was announced by Salvatore Galatioto, a broker acting on behalf
of both parties. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t International
Business Times’ Rachel Middleton) he said:
For obvious reasons I
cannot reveal who the potential buyer is. I can only say that it is a Chinese
group that has big ambitions and that is very, very interested in the club. We
have very interesting ideas and projects pertaining to the club, but first we
have to strike the deal.
I would say that if things go to plan, the
deal could be concluded in six to eight weeks.
Initially, negotiations appeared to be going smoothly. According
to multiple sources, such as Calciomercato and Sky Sport Italia (h/tFootball Italia), Berlusconi had
been convinced by the prospective investors, and the deal was set to be
concluded before a June 20 exclusivity deal deadline.
However, more
recently, there has been doubt as to whether the change in ownership will
actually go through.
Speaking to Radio Centro Suono Sport (h/t Football Italia), Berlusconiadmitted:
“I don’t know if we can reach a conclusion because they’vestill not given us an
answer on their commitment lasting several years.”
As such, the deal
seems to have hit the buffers, at least temporarily. But, with such a crucial
juncture in the club’s history on the near horizon, it is vital that a
resolution is found quickly.
A number of Milan players are out of contract this summer.
ChristianAbbiati retired at the end of last season, while Mario Balotelli’s
loan deal came to an end. Alex, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Philippe Mexes and
Cristian Zapata are also set to depart on free transfers at the end of this
month unless offered new deals, per Transfermarkt.
On top of those whose
deals are coming to a natural conclusion, there are several players who the
club should be looking to move on in order to create squad space and raise
finances for reinvestment in improving the first team, as discussed in this previous post.
As such, Milan will be looking to bolster their squad both
qualitatively and quantitatively in the coming weeks, but they cannot
begin this process until the ownership of the club is resolved, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).
An inability to confirm transfer policy is arguably the
principal ramification of the prolonged takeover negotiations, as it leaves theRossoneri without
certainty over how much money they will spend and what type of individual they
aim to bring in.
With the summer rumour mill well under way, Milan have been
linked to a number of players. Bayern Munich centre-back Medhi Benatia and Palermo attacking midfielder Franco
Vazquez are among those included in the speculation, though signing them would
require hefty outlays.
Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia)
reported that the transfer fee for the former would be around €20 million.
Meanwhile, according to Ewan Roberts of Metro, Rosanero president
Maurizio Zamparini told the Italian media concerning the latter: “I
am in contact withTottenham
Hotspur for Franco Vazquez, and I requested €25 million for
him.”
Without lucrative
continental competition to take part in, however, such expensive deals will be
hard to make without fresh investment.
This is something Berlusconi himself acknowledged when
speaking to Premium Sport (h/t Calciomercato): "The
Chinese want to me to remain as president for three more years, and I agreed.
We are working on this, if we’ll find an agreement, then my last task will be
finding my successor. If the negotiation will fail, I will keep Milan, and I
will build a team with young Italian players."
Evidently, the end result of the ongoing negotiations betweenBerlusconi and
the Chinese investors could have a knock-on effect on the quality of player
Milan can afford to sign this summer.
In addition to that,
it is worth noting that the team needs to improve in more than one area if they
are to once again compete at the top of Italian football.
Last season Milan achieved their worst goals-for tally in 14
years, finding the net a mere 49 times in 38 Serie A fixtures. Their
profligacy was in part the result of a lack of support for top scorer Carlos Bacca:
Behind the Colombian’s 18-goal haul, the next highest contributor was Giacomo Bonaventura with
six.
Other areas in need of strengthening include central defence and
central midfield, where there is a lack of inspiration and quality. But the Rossoneri’s
ownership situation must be clarified before they can begin to add in any of
these categories.
Milan also have a managerial quandary to solve. Brocchi wasappointed until
the end of last season, but he didn’t convince with results; the team won
just two and lost three of the seven games played under his leadership.
Admittedly, the 40-year-old, who previously played for the club,
did not have much time to prove himself, but he also has no track record to
speak of. And, after several failed experiments with untested former players,
namely Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi, in the dugout, it
would make sense to target a more experienced coach.
Marco Giampaolo,
who led Empoli to a
commendable 10th place last season, has been linked to the job but stated he
has not received any official contact as yet. “It's an honour to be linked with
the Rossoneri," he said at an event for the Italian Association of
Coaches, per ESPN FC's Gladwell.
"But there's nothing definite and there (have) not been any
meetings."
After a concerted
spell of mediocrity, Milan are in danger of losing their place as one of
Italian football's top clubs. Fresh investment and a change of ownership could
prove crucial to turning their fortunes around.
Whether such change will happen in the coming weeks is
unclear, butBerlusconi must seek an agreeable conclusion to
negotiations soon. Otherwise, the club risks losing out on potentially vital
summer activity.