Well, the season ended and then the Milan world we had become accustomed to imploded and we have spent the rest of the time this month trying to make sense of it all. So, today I’m going to try and give a brief rundown of what’s going on with Milan and in the halls in Milanello, at least based on what is publicly known. I’m 100% sure I’ll miss something so please let me/us know down in the comment section. You all make this site what it is and I/we love your contribution.
One quick bit of bookkeeping: we haven’t been posting as much this month and it will probably continue until July because there just isn’t enough going on. We’re not in the practice of making stuff up or writing long posts on BS rumors, plus the comment sections are always the best place to share and discuss those things.
Alright, let’s dive in…
Goodbye Zlatan
I don’t know what I can say that AviA hasn’t already but man, it sure feels like the world was righted when he came back and then fell back apart the instant he left. Like literally the next day Maldini was fired. Here I was thinking it was Maldini and Pioli who were the glue and it was Zlatan this whole time! (I’m only half serious, he was obviously a big part of Milan’s resurrection)
We all know while he could still produce right up until the end, his body wouldn’t cooperate. Apparently Milan spoke to him about taking on a role after his retirement but he reportedly declined the offer. I know I wouldn’t take a job with Cardinale, are you kidding me???
Anyway, on behalf of all Milanisti out there, thank you. I don’t know that Milan’s successes these last 3 years happen if Zlatan isn’t here. I’ll end this section with this:
Zlatan signs the shirt to Sandro tonali❤️
— Zlatan Fans Kerala (@Zlatankerala) June 19, 2023
.#zlatan #Ibrahimovic #zlatanibrahimovic #Tonali #ACMilan pic.twitter.com/1OnUkC8w5C
Overall Health: His playing career is dead but his spirit will remain with us forever! Can’t say the same for his Milan front office career, as that sh*t is DOA
Maldini and Massara are Fired
Like with the Zlatan section, we covered this so I’ll refrain from saying too much about Maldini and Massara being fired here. We have learned since our post about the firing that Geoffrey Moncada will continue being the one leading the club’s scouting of players but will have an enhanced role and Giorgio Furlani will lead the negotiations aspect of player acquisition. I don’t know who Giorgio Furlani is or his reputation but the fact that I didn’t see a plethora of press and social commentary lauding the decision tells me this is a major downgrade from Maldini but time will tell, obviously.
I’ll talk more about the market and what’s going on there but we haven’t gotten a lot of great news about anyone coming…like at all. Apparently Japanese player Daichi Kamada was pretty much signed once his agents register in Italy, and the wages being reported of about €3M per year aren’t terrible either but this is all speculation especially since this was being worked on while Maldini was still technical director, so who knows how this pans out. But more on the transfer market here shortly.
Overall Health: the Maldini (and Massara) front office era is dead, buried, and it’s going to take some grave digging should Milan ever want Maldini back. Ugh. I’m still pissed about it
RIP Silvio Berlusconi
Lisi gave a great little rundown of Berlu and his impact on Calcio and European football as a whole, so I’ll be brief here.
Silvio’s impact on the game was undeniable. The trophy count speaks for itself. While I don’t want to speak ill of the dead before the newly-laid sod on his grave catches, I can’t help but think about the way he left the club.
I don’t have the long, full history of fandom with him that many of you did so that is undoubtedly influencing my perspective. But…but he did sell the club to a buyer he had to have known was a deadbeat and wouldn’t be able to make good on his loan to purchase and just sold to the highest bidder, thus contributing to Milan’s banter era, one he started. So, from that perspective it’s difficult for me to bow to him since it seems, again to me, that Milan was more of a play thing he wanted for bragging rights and less born out of a love of club.
As I mentioned in the Redbird/Maldini-firing piece, I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan and as one, Berlusconi reminds me of Jerry Jones, who as I also mentioned destroyed a Cowboys dynasty unnecessarily because of his ego. So, I will not miss him although I’m of course thankful of what he did for the club. I know this isn’t exactly uplifting but life isn’t always unicorns and rainbows.
Overall Health: Dead…like literally but so are the days of unfettered spending at Milanello – ZING!
Milan's Mercato
Well, there he is. Geoffrey Moncada. The one apparently who’s going to lead Milan to the promise land!
I honestly think he’s a heck of a scout and I believe that will continue, it’s the getting the money to get players and then getting them signed that concerns me. Since he mostly operates behind a curtain it’s going to be difficult to know how he’s truly doing unless we get some super in-depth reporting on what’s going on behind the scenes with Cardinale’s new investment. Maldini was the face of the club, and while he didn’t give a lot of pressers or interviews, he was out front and center when we did get something. I have no idea how things will work now and considering it’s been mostly crickets so far, who knows how this new regime is going to behave.
What we do have are RUMORS! Now, we here at the Fossa do not like rumors and will mostly refrain from sharing many, but there are some things bouncing around the interwebs that probably have some teeth and so we’ll drop a few of them here.
Daichi Kamada - Midfield
As mentioned above, this move began when Maldini and Massara were still on board so who knows if Milan still want him or if Kamada still wants Milan. As for Kamada, based off of a very quick internet search, he is an attacking midfielder and had good numbers for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. This would be a Brahim replacement although it’s not quite a like-for-like since they have different characteristics, with Kamada being more of a passing/build-up-play type and less the dribbler.
Still, should be a solid addition if he comes as an overall upgrading of the midfield is needed and with Brahim’s exit and Charles De Ketelaere’s future uncertain, both in terms of quality and in Serie A, an attacking midfielder is one of the major needs this summer. More concerning for me is the lack of a backup option should Kamada decide to go elsewhere, and on that front the rumor mill has been mostly quiet…which we’ll go to now on a potential plan-B (or maybe plan-A?)
Odds: I’m not Lisi and will not be providing betting odds, so think of this as more probability odds…and I’d say it’s even Kamada comes especially since there’s the whole Japan/Asia/jersey sales angle. EXCITING, I know…
Arda Güler - Midfield
Honestly, I had no idea who this Turkish kid was until about 2 weeks ago but all of the sudden I started seeing Arda Güler’s name everywhere. Being just 18 years old and getting first team minutes with Fenerbahçe in the Turkish league, it’s not too surprising to see EPL teams snooping around and that’s exactly how I first learned his name. But, over the last week or so Milan began to get linked with him and then I really got intrigued.
Apparently Güler is a heck of a dribbler and sees the pitch well for a young kid. His finishing is still really raw but being only 18 should provide much room for improvement. I try to stay away from highlight reels (eff off Hakan) but if you’re curious, check this out. Overall, he reminds me of Brahim and if that’s the case you know daddy like!
Odds: I’m going to say 8:1 odds with all the EPL teams lurking but with a release clause of only €17.5M, this is within the budget (I’d f**king hope) of Cardinale
Samuel Chukwueze - Right Winger/Midfield
All indications in my not-at-all-extensive-research is that Nigerian International Chukwueze is a pacey winger who likes to dribble and play through-balls. Apparently his finishing isn’t spectacular but is improving so some opportunities for growth there. Considering Milan’s right wing of the last few years and who’s currently on the squad, this is definitely a position in need of improving.
A few people in the comment section the last few posts have mentioned that he is somewhat injury-prone. Seeing that he has only eclipsed 30 appearances twice in the last 5 years with Villareal, Milan would need to make sure some decent depth is still on the squad. His numbers last season are close to what Saelemaekers and Messias put up combined, so he would likely be an upgrade at the position.
Odds: Expiring contract next summer works in Milan’s favor, so I’m going to say 3:1 odds
Marcus Thuram - Striker
The big French International and Borussia Mönchengladbach player has been linked with Milan for about a month now and apparently PSG is sniffing around him too. At 25 years old, he’s hitting his prime and has all the physical tools needed for the position. His shooting isn’t fantastic and in Pioli’s set up that would be his biggest and best opportunity to contribute…so upgrades at RW and midfield to provide him better service would be needed. His dribbling is pretty good for a big man and he has decent vision as well.
This past season he had 16 goals and 7 assists across all competitions and could be a perfect signing to backup Giroud this upcoming season and eventually take the job fully starting in 2024-25 season.
Odds: This would be on a free so the wages would need to be constrained for this deal to work. So with that in mind, I’m going to say 5:1 odds
Other Transfer News and Transfer Wrap-Up
Milan is going to be bringing back Lorenzo Columbo by triggering the buyback clause in his deal with Lecce. Columbo had a solid season for the goal-challenged Lecce, scoring 6 goals and an assist across all competitions. I don’t know that Milan can rely on him should Giroud get injured but he could be a good depth piece if Milan hope to compete across all 3 competitions next season.
Other players being linked with Milan back in May but has since gone silent is Bologna’s ST Marko Arnautović and Atalanta’s GK Marco Sportiello. Arnautović is 34 years old and while not a move for the future, he could provide some solid depth should another move for a striker fall through since it’s rumored he could be had for about €7-8M (he could be a good short-term/mid-term addition either way). I suspect we’ll start to see his name pop back up in August if Milan is still searching for a Giroud backup.
For Marco Sportiello, his contract is up on June 30th and the rumor is that he will sign with Milan to be Maignan’s backup. After the disaster that is and was Tatarusanu, Milan bringing in a new-ish traffic cone would’ve been an improvement, so I’m A-OK with this signing for what should be modest wages.
As for players on the team this past season, Messias has been brought up in the rumor mill and is being linked with a move away from Milan. I’m 100% ok with this. Saelemaekers popped up on Twitter as a candidate to be moved this summer, as did CDK, but I’m not buying that with either of them. With Brahim now gone, it’s between CDK and Adli for the CAM role and while I’m not entirely convinced about CDK, I’m even less so with Adli.
Finally, next to nothing regarding rumors for a DM, LB, or another CB – all of which are still major needs.
Overall Health: Milan’s transfer market activity is in critical condition and the summer prognosis is bleak. With Maldini out the door, it’s unknown if Milan can finish their player pursuits with ink-to-paper. If you’re the praying type, now is probably the time…
Milanisti
For the last section, I wanted to take a minute and check in with us fans. We’ve been completely leveled by what’s happened since the end of the season, some of it known (Zlatan), but most of it unknown and unforeseen (Maldini and Berlusconi). Then, to top it off, Cardinale and friends have been slow to reassure us fans that they have a plan and things are in working order. Maybe they haven’t done that because things aren’t in order and they have their heads up their asses?…¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lisi said at the beginning of June when all this stuff went down with Maldini that teams usually throw the fans a bone, and I think they tried that by asking Zlatan to stay on in a club manager role, but I think even Zlatan saw it wasn’t the time to get on Cardinale’s boat ride seeing that he probably doesn’t have the necessary life boats or vests.
The fact is that Cardinale, while technically taking control last fall, has completely punched himself in the d**k with regards to first impressions amongst us fans. He has seemingly taken something that was working and working well, found a solution in search of a problem, and has made everything worse. I know I haven’t been very happy with the club we all love and I know a lot of you out there aren’t either and this is a big reason why.
Overall Health: We’re in critical but stable condition and likely in for looooong recovery
Wrap up
Hopefully we’ll get something soon to pick up our spirits…anything! But until then, let us know your thoughts below on the state of Milan, the front office, transfers, anything really. With the formal mercato not starting until July 1st, we may have long 10 days to wait until some news comes in that lifts us up and excites us for next season.
Forza Milan
gillis