Milan Loanee Report Card: 2023-24

1 Comment / Opinion, Transfers / By /

Here we go folks. Your 2023/24 loanee report. In the past our loan policy was minimal and the guys we had out on loan were usually either youth teamers you never heard of OR some guys we couldn’t get rid of because of massive salaries.

Like the transfer report from last week, we laid out the list in order of minutes played (this time at their loanee club), in descending order, as of the time of this writing. Stats are across all competitions from Transfermarkt.us. So without further ado…let’s see who is where and doing what!

Summer Signings

Charles De Ketelaere
Charles De Ketelaere
13G and 9A in 2646 minutes across all competitions for Atalanta
Having a great season playing multiple spots up front for Atalanta. He tends to start up top but then drifts right and left and even comes deep to receive the ball. You could see the intelligence and movement last year but the kid just had no luck. NONE. All it took was one chance to go in. That goal just never came in almost 1500 minutes. This year? It came in his first start.  For believers and defenders of him it’s vindication. For haters they just switch their blame to Pioli, LOL. There’s no doubt Atalanta was a great fit for him. Gasperini has given him the freedom to go wherever while playing alongside Scamacca and in front of Koopmeiners. 
 
What happens from here? It’s a good question. We need a striker. I would LOVE him as a striker for us. We need a better player in the CAM spot. He can do that too. Especially if paired with the right player. If he doesn’t come back he gets sold for a nice chunk of change that will help pay for that player. Either way the move to loan him was genius. Selling him would have been bonkers. This way he has regained his value whether that means via a sale or coming back to Milan to contribute. 
Marco Nasti
Marco Nasti

6G and 1A in 2308 minutes at Bari this year
Much like Bari, started the year strong but has petered off of late. He had 3 goals by mid November but has as many red cards as goals since. One. Still those kind of minutes represent a good run out for a 20 year old. Also Serie B is notoriously low scoring. Most teams average about 1-1.5 goals per game. Also should be noted he was in the NT setup until breaking a teammates nose last summer. Also, great name. 

Alexis Saelemaekers
Alexis Saelemaekers

4G and 3A in 2002 minutes for Bologna
Like CDK he’s having an excellent season for a contending team in Serie A. Salad started the year a little slow as he was injured. He eventually took his spot as the starting LW and has not relinquished it since October. Like his time at Milan he is more defender and distributor while Zirksee, Orsolini and the mids do most of the scoring. Him and Califiori at LB have made a real lock down combo for Bologna.

Still only 24 he has a lot of value as a versatile player for any team looking to press high. I imagine Bologna clinching CL means he gets redeemed but if not Milan will have no problem moving him. Some EPL team might pay a pretty penny for him. 

Lorenzo Colombo
Lorenzo Colombo

4G and 1A in 1366 minutes for Monza
Colombo had a nice year last year for Lecce so a move to Monza was a natural step up. He’s put up similar numbers so you can’t complain. His playing time has tailed off down the stretch as Djuric has become the regular up top. He’s a decent mid level player but it’s hard to see him getting a regular spot at Milan. At 22 there is still time to improve though. I imagine either this summer or next he is sold for a tidy home grown profit. That always looks good on the books. 

Chaka Traore
Chaka Traore

5G and 3A in 934 minutes between the Milan Primavera, Milan 1st team and Palermo
Bounced between the Milan first team and the Primavera the first half of the season. Managed to score those 5 goals in 5 different comps: Serie A, Coppa Italia, Primavera, Coppa Primavera and UEFA Youth League. There’s something to be said for a guy that bounces around like that and always finds the back of the net. Only real downer is he hasn’t played much at Palermo but they are in a dog fight to make the promotion playoffs. Liked what we saw of him in his cups of coffee with the first team. 

Marco Pellegrino
Marco Pellegrino

767 minutes at Salernitana this year
Actually played a game for us against Napoli back in October. We were neck deep in injury crisis and Kalulu got hurt 22 minutes into the game. Thought he played pretty well. Started 7 games for Salernitana but with how bad they are and constant coaching changes it’s hard to glean anything from that. He’s a defender that got top flight minutes. No complaints. 

Divock Origi
Divock Origi

1A in 598 minutes at Nottingham Forest
Tried to buy into this guy when we brought him in but he just stinks. Did next to nothing for us last year and doing nothing this year. Easily the worst signing of the post Banter Era and it’s not even close. Some day he’ll expire but that day can’t come soon enough. Maldini’s biggest mistake. 

Daniel Maldini
Daniel Maldini

4G and 1A in 588 minutes at Empoli and Monza
He spent the first half of the year at Empoli where he didn’t play much. In January he moved to Monza where he’s done well. There he has 4 goals and 1 assist in just 304 minutes. A super sub of sorts. When he’s on the field things just happen. If he’s gonna really blossom though he needs more regular minutes. Perhaps this summer he finds that loan move to a place where he can get the 2500 minutes or so that a young player needs to blossom. He has a knack for goals that’s for sure. 

Luka Romero
Luka Romero

3G in 488 minutes for Almeria in Spain
Had one glorious game where he scored twice in 69 minutes against Athletico Madrid…and has played 419 minutes since. Strange right? Gotta say I did like what we saw from him last summer. Seems very much like a Dybala lite kind of player. A little more edge though. Still only 19 it’s hard to say what the future holds. Probably another loan. If he finds the right fit and gets time I could for sure see him in the 8-10 goal range for a midtable club. Would love to see him under a guy like EDF at Frosinone or Gasp at Atalanta for a season. 

Fodo Ballo-Toure
Fodo Ballo-Toure

212 minutes at Fulham this year
If not for Origi he’s probably the worst signing of the last few years. Is it any wonder we need to look for help at striker and at RB this summer? Basta!

Marko Lazetic
Marko Lazetic

172 minutes at Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie
This makes 2 years on loan for him without much playing time. Don’t even really remember him in summer friendlies. He’s tall. That’s all I got. 

Devin Vasquez
Devin Vasquez

5 clean sheets in 16 starts at Sheffield Wednesday and also Ascoli in Serie B
Started the year at Wednesday making 9 starts and winning none. Did make 1 cup start and won that on PKs.  That doesn’t sound great but realize Wednesday are dead last in the league with 16 points. Took a loan move in January to Ascoli where he sat for a month before being called upon with Ascoli sitting 18th. He’s kept 4 clean sheets in 6 matches but unfortunately Ascoli has won none of them and remained 18th.

So to recap: he’s played 16 games at keeper for 2 relegation teams. In those games he was one win on PKs in a cup game, 9 losses and 6 draws. Not a single win in relegation. That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger right? 

Wrap Up

Not a bad group here. Certainly more than we have had in YEARS. Honestly I can’t remember the last player we had that rode the loan train and either came good for us or was sold for good money. While most of these guys will INDEED be sold in time that’s ok. There’s several here that will command 10 million or more and  few of them are home grown guys which the FFP gods LOVE. 

Cheers

Lisi