Milan were given ample opportunity to snap up a proven striker for free with low wages this summer, but Susy Campanale believes they will regret ignoring Andrea Belotti.
The Rossoneri romped to their first Serie A title in over a decade last season, despite working on a tight budget and with numerous injury problems throughout the campaign.
It was abundantly clear that some roles needed strengthening, especially if they were to make a go of it in the Champions League too, as key players had no reliable understudy and were worn out by the end of the season.
So much time was spent this summer trying to find a centre-back, but not enough focus was put on an area they are now suffering in – attack.
Charles De Ketelaere took up a large chunk of the budget, but he can play several different roles and still needs time to adapt to a whole new team and league.
It was already known before he arrived that Divock Origi was injured, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic ruled out until 2023 by knee surgery.
Ante Rebic has never been particularly reliable even before this recurring back issue, so once again Milan find themselves clinging for dear life to Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao.
The answer was sitting right there twiddling his thumbs for months as a free agent, a man with a proven track record in Serie A, on relatively low wages and who wouldn’t mind something less than a starring role for the club he always supported.
Belotti has no resale value, they said, but neither do Giroud or Ibrahimovic.
Il Gallo is too old, they claimed, but at 28 he’s a spring chicken compared to the other strikers at San Siro and only a year older than Origi.
He would’ve been able to bolster the Italian contingent, something that is practically a boost considering Milan’s squad is restricted in the Champions League by the lack of local players.
If either Leao or Giroud miss out, this is a largely toothless team who can’t truly depend on Alexis Saelemaekers, Brahim Diaz or Junior Messias for clinical finishing.
It never made much sense that Milan wanted Belotti when Torino could rest on his €100m release clause, then completely ignored him once he became free. Stefano Pioli and Paolo Maldini might live to regret that snub.
100% agree. But it was expected seeing as this new Milan ownership absolutely hates Italians. It’s weird seeing Milan be this non Italian when it is literally the opposite why them and inter separated in the past. Belotti was built for Milan and waited an entire off-season for them to come for him…yet we always go foreign and hence origi…
I have zero regrets about this. Anyone else?
Belotti might’ve been a proven striker in the past but is definitely not one now
I’m sure ACM can find a better super sub if one goal in 7 sub appearances for Roma is the best he can do.
No regrets here. The only regret I have is Losing Kessie who we CLEARLY miss right now given our defensive record. The attack has improved this year but we’ve regressed defensively.
In hindsight, I would have kept Colombo in the squad. But yes for free, and if he’d accept 2mill/season, we should have snapped him up so Rebic could be Leao’s understudy and keep them both on the left, while Zlatan, Giroud, Origi, Belotti was the pecking order for the one striker position, with the option of throwing on a second one to push for a goal when needed.
Ideally, a young talent that had room for growth in both ability and value would have been fantastic, but without the funds, they went to Napoli and West Ham.
Sorry but if anyone, Belotti has snubbed Milan when he signed a 5 year deal with Torino with a humongous release clause. So no.
spot on article, anyone saying origi is better option than belotti should have their head examined
In the end if we had have picked him up everyone would have complained about having too many old strikers.
At this point yes you could say he may have been a better option than Origi. Time will tell and everyone should remember we were not flush with money and have to gamble sometimes.
Agreed on Kessie, never wanted him to leave and said we would miss him.
Ballotti has more goals than origi… and I bet you he ends up with more goals then he does at the bed if the season on less salary
Not too mention that he is Italian for CL squad rules… all in all a huge miss by Maldini for sure… this and letting players leave on a free… if he lets Leao leave on a free then we will have to fire him
When Belotti had a 10m release clause and Milan were after him, there was another coach, manager, sporting director, president and owner in charge of Milan. It was a completely different Milan.
I don’t think he’s on low wages. I guess he earns around 4m a year, the same as Origi.
Belotti is too Italian for Maldini who only prefers black French. Unless it’s to give his son playing time.
PeterTufaro’s post gets through but not mine???
The biggest regret is Cutrone! Had he stayed he would’ve continued his growth and not gone backwards like he did at Wolves.
@peter tufaro, easy mistake to make, but you are clearly confusing Maldini with your Mum