With the transfer window shut, Football Italia rates the transfer campaigns of the big clubs, with a big summer for Milan.
Words: Luca LaPorta
Milan’s new look management wasted no time in the transfer market, confirming signings right after the season ended in May and June with Marco Fassone and Massimiliano Mirabelli eventually purchasing 11 players to revamp this Rossoneri side that struggled over the past few seasons.
With the transfer window shut, Football Italia rates the transfer campaigns of the big clubs, with a big summer for Milan.
Words: Luca LaPorta
Milan’s new look management wasted no time in the transfer market, confirming signings right after the season ended in May and June with Marco Fassone and Massimiliano Mirabelli eventually purchasing 11 players to revamp this Rossoneri side that struggled over the past few seasons.
The mercato started with Milan confirming the permanent signing of defender Mateo Musacchio from Villarreal for €18m. The 27-year-old was linked last summer, and finally completed the deal, adding depth at the back. Then, a week later came the swoop for highly rated Atalanta midfielder Franck Yannick Kessié. The 20-year-old Ivorian had a great season and is one for the future, joining on a 2-year loan with an obligation to buy for €28m.
The next week another signing was confirmed, this time from the Bundesliga. Ricardo Rodriguez, the popular Swiss international joined the team for around €18m, a major bargain for the young, experienced player. Fassone and Mirabelli ended the month of May with three new signings already, and kept negotiations up with several players to make for an exciting June.
The new management surprised Milanisti with the confirmation of Portuguese golden boy striker André Silva from Porto, for €40m. The 21-year-old scored 18 goals with Porto last term and has the potential to impress for years to come. Next came Sunderland and ex-Roma man Fabio Borini, arriving as a depth attacker who can provide reinforcement in several forward positions.
The official summer window started in July, which began with Milan renewing Gianluigi Donnarumma’s contract and also signing his brother, Antonio as a backup. It wasn’t a big signing whatsoever, but a move that was made to keep the starlet keeper content. July kept up with the pace of new signings, as Andrea Conti, after a long transfer saga, finally joined to fill the right-back hole.
Turkish star Hakan Calhanoglu also joined for around €22m, adding skill and set piece quality to the team, a true ‘trequartista’ that can play in the midfield or on the left wing. Fassone then closed the deal with Claudio Lotito of Lazio, bringing a much-needed regista Lucas Biglia to the squad for €18m. Last but definitely not least, Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci joined Milan in an extraordinary €40m deal, bringing one of the best defenders in the world to San Siro. Even after all the completed transfers, this deal showed football fans around the world that the Rossoneri are back and mean business.
After a very quiet August, Fassone and Mirabelli concluded the summer transfer market by ending a long saga with Fiorentina striker Nikola Kalinic, who stated he wanted to join the Diavolo months prior. The mercato Godfathers were able to save some money this season, paying a €5m loan with a €20m obligation to buy for the 29-year-old Croatian next summer.
So yes, Milan brought in a whole starting 11 of new players in the four summer months. Revamp is an understatement, but the new acquisitions weren’t the only part that made this summer a true success for the new management. Many players were offloaded and for good profit as well, with the likes of Mattia De Sciglio, Gianluca Lapadula, M’baye Niang, Juraj Kucka, Leonel Vangioni, Carlos Bacca and Andrea Bertolacci for profit. Getting rid of the deadweight was also a big priority in contrary of the new additions, which excites Milanisti for the season and next few years to come.
This mercato was just shy of possibly being an A or A+, and the reason for that was the unsuccessful attempt of bringing in another midfield reinforcement or a natural left winger. Though this summer was so impressive and revamped literally the whole Rossoneri squad, there could’ve been a reinforcement added at the end of the mercato, either on loan or with a small fee. Aside from that, it’s all positivity in the Milan world.
Fassone and Mirabelli led a successful transfer campaign for the Rossoneri, bringing competitive football back to San Siro for this season and seasons to come.
Milan’s mercato was a great success, and the scudetto race is shaping up to be just like the old days.
Score: A-
In: Kessié, Musacchio, Silva, Borini, Calhanoglu, Conti, Biglia, Bonucci, Kalinic, Rodriguez
Out: Honda, Poli, Vangioni, Kucka, Bertolacci, Lapadula, De Sciglio, Bacca, Niang