When sifting through the past year, one thing that cannot be said about AC Milan is that money has not been invested to improve the squad. Last summer, the club spent big in a bid to return to the top of Italian football. The result? A seventh-place finish in Serie A.
The summer of 2016 wasn’t quite so lavish, with an overall £22.78 million gross spend appearing meek when compared to the previous year’s £77.32 million. Nonetheless, the investment in the transfer market has been serious and, when combined, adds up to over £100 million.
When considering the underwhelming 2015-16 season and the poor start to this term, it is clear that this money could have been utilised more efficiently. Milan’s scattergun approach to the transfer window, while financially significant, has left them with a group of players seemingly incapable of rejuvenating the club.
However, with a better recruitment policy, the Rossoneri could have been in the mix for a Scudetto challenge. £100 million is, after all, a sizeable budget even by today’s standards.
Here, Bleacher Report assesses the team Milan could have built with this sum.
Defence
The progress of 17-year-old phenomenon Gianluigi Donnarumma has been a joy to behold since his debut against Sassuolo in 2015. With defiant performances against Atalanta and Verona last term and a last-gasp, match-winning penalty save on the opening day of this campaign, he has established himself as Milan’s undisputed No. 1.
However, with Diego Lopez having departed and the uninspiring Gabriel sitting on the substitutes' bench, the youngster could have done with better-quality competition.
Norberto Neto was one of Serie A’s more consistent goalkeepers during a two-year spell as Fiorentina’s first choice between 2013 and 2015. He thrived working under current Milan coach Vincenzo Montella, but ultimately left for Juventus on a free transfer last summer.
Had the Rossoneri moved with the correct intent, they could have secured the Brazilian’s signature with the guarantee of more frequent game time, something the player has yet to achieve at Juventus, mainly because of Gianluigi Buffon’s iconic presence.
Alessio Romagnoli was Milan’s second-most expensive signing last summer, arriving for £21.25 million from Roma. But, while the 21-year-old’s youth and great promise no doubt inflated the transfer fee, it would have been possible to buy two exceptional Serie A centre-backs with that money.
Lorenzo Tonelli joined Napoli for £8.5 million this summer after two seasons of solid top-level defending with Empoli. During his time with the Tuscan club, the 26-year-old showed an unerring ability to pass the ball out from the back as well as excellent pace and recovery skills that enabled him to operate within a high defensive line.
Commanding, aerially strong and technically assured, he is the sort of wholehearted centre-back Milan have lacked since the days of Thiago Silva. And, for further defensive solidity and leadership, the club could have partnered him with Kamil Glik.
The 28-year-old Poland international left Torino for Monaco in the summer window having starred for his country at Euro 2016. And, in a time when post-tournament transfers tend to come at a grossly exaggerated cost, his £9.35 million fee was a veritable bargain.
He proved himself an inspirational captain with the Granata over the course of his five seasons in Turin, leading them into the Europa League. While not as technically proficient as Romagnoli or Tonelli, his nous, aggression and organisational skills would have been welcomed at Milan.
At Napoli, Tonelli has joined up with a former Empoli team-mate in Elseid Hysaj. The 22-year-old Albanian moved to Naples in July 2015 in a £4.25 million deal of genuine foresight. During his debut term with the Partenopei, he showed himself to be one of the most reliable full-backs in Italy, combining defensive fortitude with incisive attacking.
To offer a more offensive outlook on the left flank, Milan could have moved for Diego Laxalt. The Uruguayan, who can play on both sides or even as an attacking midfielder, possesses sound dribbling skill and an ability to overlap or underlap. Having joined Genoa permanently for £3.4 million this summer, the 23-year-old would have been well within the Rossoneri’s budget.
Midfield
The midfield has been an area of real concern for Milan this season. Without a creative regista to occupy the base of Montella’s trident, Giacomo Bonaventura has had to take on playmaking duties almost single-handedly at times. Help for the Italy international could have arrived in the form of Ever Banega.
After two influential seasons in LaLiga with Sevilla, the 28-year-old playmaker departed on a free transfer over the summer to Inter Milan. And, since arriving in Serie A, he has made four key passes and set up one assist to achieve an average performance rating of 7.65 perWhoScored.com's statistics.
His vision and penetrative passing would have added an edge to Milan’s possession, something that could have been supported by Dutch midfield pivot Marten de Roon.
The 25-year-old’s arrival at Atalanta last year was inconspicuous, joining as he did for a relatively modest £1.11 million sum. But, despite the small fee, he averaged more tackles than anyone else in Serie A in 2015-16, and only four players made more interceptions per game, according to WhoScored.
With security ensured by De Roon and elegant, visionary playmaking provided by Banega, Milan could have brought in Brazilian dynamo Allan to balance out their middle three. The 25-year-old joined Napoli from Udinese for £9.78 million last summer and injected energy, press resistance and strong ball-carrying to the Partenopei’s midfield.
An effective tackler, he is also a direct runner with a good touch. This combination of skills makes him a capable performer in both defensive and attacking phases of play, with an ability to win out in one-on-ones in either situation.
Attack
Traditionally, attacking players cost more than their defensive counterparts. Their work catches the eye more and, in an age when data analysis has not yet penetrated recruitment policies, clubs continue to spend larger sums on those who scored the goals than those who keep them out.
With that in mind, Milan’s £25.5 million expenditure to bring in clinical Colombian finisher Carlos Bacca from Sevilla last summer is understandable. However, for a small amount more, the club could have acquired an entire new front three.
Franco Vazquez was reportedly on the Rossoneri’s radar prior to his leaving Palermo for Sevilla in July for £12.75 million, as noted byCalciomercato.com. With 18 goals and 17 assists to his name over the last two Serie A seasons, he would have added productivity to Montella’s attack from the right-sided inverted winger position currently occupied by Suso.
And he could have been joined by the quicksilver Diego Perotti, a tactically versatile forward who joined Roma from Genoa permanently in the summer in a deal worth £7.65 million. The Argentinian can operate effectively as a trequartista, winger or false nine, and his cutting runs, changes of direction and turn of pace make him a tantalising attacking option.
To lead the line, promising 22-year-old Andrea Belotti is of a different style to Bacca.
While not as effective inside the box, he has intelligent positional sense, good hold-up and link-up play, aerial strength and runs the channels well to create space for others.
Additionally, while not as ruthless as Bacca, his 16 goals in 37 league outings since joining Torino last summer for £7.14 million are evidence of an improved composure and consistency in and around the opposition area.
Possible Lineup
Over the last two seasons, Milan have spent £100.1 million on incoming transfers. However, using this as a budget, signing the aforementioned players would have cost £63.93 million in fees. Here is how this hypothetical team could have lined up, in Montella’s favoured 4-3-3 system.
It’s worth noting that putting together this team would have left the Rossoneri with £36.17 million in their budget, enough to cover the addition of Romagnoli with some to spare. And that’s not including the likes of Donnarumma, Ignazio Abate, Mattia De Sciglio, Bonaventura, Suso and M’Baye Niang, all of whom were already in the squad prior to the two-year period referenced in this article.
Per Football Italia, Milan recently received an €85 million deposit from Sino-Europe Sports, a Chinese consortium who have signed a preliminary agreement to buy the club, sparking speculation as to who may be brought in with the fresh investment.
But if the last two years have shown anything, it is that when it comes to spending on player recruitment, quality matters more than quantity.
All transfer fees provided by Transfermarkt.co.uk.