Football Season Guide

Milan

In


Andrea Conti (def)(Parma, end of loan); Mattia Caldara (def)(Atalanta, end of loan); Tommaso Pobega (mid)(Spezia, end of loan); Lorenzo Colombo (att)(Cremonese, end of loan); Mike Maignan (gk)(Lille OSC); Alessandro Plizzari (gk)(Reggina, end of loan); Fikayo Tomori (def)(Chelsea, loan made permanent); Fode Ballo-Touré (def)(AS Monaco); Sandro Tonali (mid)(Brescia, loan made permanent); Olivier Giroud (att)(Chelsea);

Out


Soualiho Meité (sp)(mid)(Torino, end of loan); Diogo Dalot (sp)(def)(Manchester United, end of loan); Gianluigi Donnarumma (k)(gk)(released); Mario Mandzukic (sp)(att)(released); Hakan Calhanoglu (r)(mid)(released); Jens Petter Hauge (sp)(att)(Eintracht Frankfurt, on loan); Diego Laxalt (def)(Dinamo Moscow); Antonio Donnarumma (gk)(released);

After an 8 year absence from the top 2 in Serie A, last season Milan managed reached the runner up spot on the very last day of the campaign. It was a notable result considering the limitations of the squad coach Stefano Pioli had to deal with. He was confirmed at the helm of the team for the new season, but he will have to make do with a partly renewed group. In fact, during the summer, the management tried to strengthen the squad while limiting expenditure. Key player in goalkeeper Donnarumma was released, as was another important starter in attacking midfielder Calhanoglu. More players could also be leaving the club, come the right offer. Milan offloaded players who left no mark on the season at all in Mandzukic and Meité, or in the case of Hauge and Dalot who wanted more playing time elsewhere. The new man between the sticks will be Maignan, who was a protagonist with the new French champions, Lille. Moreover, Milan made sure that centre-back Tomori and holding midfielder Tonali remained at the club, turning their loans into permanent deals. Besides them, they also signed a valid alternative to Hernandez at left-back in Ballo-Touré and an experienced forward, Giroud, to provide an alternative to the worn-out and almost 40-year-old Ibrahimovic as the lone striker. Milan are still on the hunt for more quality for the midfield and more valid alternatives to the attacking midfielders together with one more forward to provide more depth in the squad.

Target


With Inter weakened and Juventus still a work in progress, Milan can compete for the Scudetto.