Milan Plot Defensive Revolution This Summer

1 week ago 8

Fikayo Tomori will likely pay a visit to his agent Viktor Kolar ahead of the return leg of the Europa League’s Round of 16 against Slavia Praha,

One of the detriments of Stefano Pioli’s last season at Milan has been a porous defense that has conceded a second-high 42 goals among sides from the upper half of the Serie A table. According to Calciomercato, the current runners-up have made their second priority to overhaul their defensive options in the summer.

Finding a trustworthy successor to the outgoing Pioli is atop Rossoneri’s assignments ahead of the upcoming transfer window. But while awaiting a crunch meeting with Porto boss Sergio Conceicao, they’ve identified other issues that require immediate attention, including reinforcing a leaky backline.

To understand the depth of the problem, newly-crowned champions Inter have conceded 23 goals fewer than Milan. For instance, tenth-placed Torino have only capitulated 31 times compared to Rossoneri’s 42. Moreover, Pioli’s men have only managed 13 clean sheets after 35 Serie A rounds.

What hurts the most is that the Milan rearguard let the team down in almost every high-profile match-up. They conceded seven goals in two league encounters against Inter, not to mention an utter disaster in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Roma. Then, there are other examples of vulnerability in the so-called ‘small’ games.

Less than a month after letting second-from-bottom Sassuolo score three times in an enthralling 3-3 draw at the Mapei Stadium, Milan fans had a sense of deja vu when Genoa touched down at San Siro last weekend. An identical scoreline saw Pioli’s side extend their winless league run to four games despite netting three times!

Milan chiefs have earmarked Pioli as the main culprit for the team’s abysmal defensive form. The veteran coach will pay the price as the Italians prepare to bid farewell to the ex-Inter boss, having already cast a wide net in search of his long-term replacement. Once they hire a new boss, they’ll turn to personnel changes.

Milan captain Davide Calabria among compromised first-team stars

Despite his well-documented professionalism and commitment to the Milan shirt, Calabria’s attacking shortcomings can no longer fly under the radar. The Italian is a warrior, unafraid to get his hands dirty, and often leaves his heart and soul on the pitch. At the same time, he’s almost useless in attack.

Calabria’s lack of quality in the front third has made Milan’s attacking set-up one-dimensional, if not predictable. Every team defending against Milan knows they must guard Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao on the left, often intentionally leaving space for Calabria on the right. Alessandro Florenzi is a decent backup, but Rossoneri deserve someone better.

Lille’s Tiago Santos is a profile examined by the Milan hierarchy. Santos’ agent is Jorge Mendes, with whom the Italians boast a strong relationship. The Portuguese bigwig helped them sign Leao in 2019 and could do the same with the 21-year-old in the coming months.

Fikayo Tomori’s future in the balance

Tomori’s career has blossomed at Milan following a rough stint at Chelsea. After a stellar short-term loan in the second half of the 2021/22 season, Rossoneri forked out £25 million to buy him permanently the following summer. However, the 26-year-old has stuttered this season.

He has gone from the most dependable Milan defender to one of the most heavily criticized first-team players. As such, the club would listen to offers for the Englishman. Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix could be Tomori’s heir after enjoying a rise to prominence during his four-year spell in the Bundesliga.

Lacroix’s deal at Wolfsburg runs out next summer, and Milan could land him in a cut-price deal in the coming months. At 24, he’s about to enter his peak powers, while his physical attributes seem well suited for the Serie A standards.

Malick Thiaw untouchable

Thiaw has had a rollercoaster campaign. The 22-year-old’s red card in a 1-0 loss to Juventus in the first half of the season could be attributed to his lack of experience. But Milan trust the youngster to be the focal point of their defense for years to come.

Except for occasional blunders and several injury setbacks, Thiaw has been Milan’s most reliable defender this term. As such, the club has deemed the German center-back indispensable and will rebuff all approaches for their prized asset this summer.

Unless someone comes up with a mind-blowing offer, Thiaw will stay at Milan next season.