Following their greatly anticipated Champions League return, Milan had to pull off a spectacular transfer session and bring in players who are worthy of listening to the fascinating anthem of Europe’s elite club competition – and perhaps make a serious run for the Scudetto amidst the troubles facing their biggest two foes.
Nonetheless, the Rossoneri’s market started on the wrong foot, with two disappointing (even if expected) free exits. However, club directors Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara quickly reassembled, and began to fill the holes within the squad one after one.
So let’s recap the Calciomercato of the runners-up from last season’s Serie A campaign.
Departures
As we mentioned in the introduction above, Milan lost two valuable players for free in Hakan Calhanoglu and Gianluigi Donnarumma who refused to sign contract extensions with the club. Even worse, the Turk sealed a move to their crosstown rivals Inter, while the goalkeeper joined the galactical PSG revolution on heels of an immense Euro 2020 campaign.
But on the bright side, the two aforementioned stars are the only notable exists from Milan during this summer transfer session. Indeed, the club shipped some of their deadwood – the likes of Antonio Donnarumma, Diego Laxalt and Mattia Caldara.
Tommaso Pobega was probably hoping to remain at San Siro following his loan spell at Spezia, but he was instead sent on loan to Torino, while Jens Petter Hauge joined Eintracht Frankfurt after only showing occasional flashes of brilliance last season.
Arrivals
Following his impressive loan stint between January and May, Milan rightfully decided to acquire the services of Fikayo Tomori on a permanent basis, and the Englishman was actually one of the most expensive Serie A signings of this particularly poor transfer session. Brahim Diaz and Sandro Tonali were also maintained.
Mike Maignan landed in Milano after helping his former club Lille to a shocking Ligue 1 triumph last season. The fullback positions have been enhanced with the arrivals of Alessandro Florenzi and Fodé Ballo-Touré who should act as reliable backups for Davide Calabria and Theo Hernandez. The Diavolo also bought the talented Yacine Adli, but he’ll remain at Bordeaux for another season.
The forever-on-loan Tiemoué Bakayo returned for another spell in Milano two years after his departure, and was joined by his ex-Chelsea teammate Olivier Giroud who’s currently leading the line in the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Former Genoa talent Pietro Pellegri will try his luck once again in his home nation following a disappointing spell with Monaco, while the versatile Junior Messias was the last addition to the roster following his deadline day transfer from Crotone.
Best Coup
Even though several candidates do have some valid claims, brining in Mike Maignan to replace Gigio was probably a brilliant piece of business, and the Frenchman has already showcased some of his grand capabilities in the opening weekend against Sampdoria.
The former Lille man has some giant gloves to fill, but his impressive passing ability allows his side to build the play from the back.
Worst Blow
Well, once again he have to revert to the same discussion. Surely Maignan is trying his best to cover for his departed counterpart, but losing a youth product who emerged at the age of 16 and became club captain (somewhat) at 22 while being one of the best in the world at his playing position is undeniably a major blow. Oh and let’s not forget that the club didn’t earn a dime in return.
Short answer: Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Missed Chance
Following the departure of Calhanoglu, Milan were expected to sign a creative attacking midfielder during the current transfer session. Whilst having Brahim Diaz and Messias could fit the bill, a bigger name like Josip Ilicic or Luis Alberto would have been more pleasing for the fans.
Moreover, a right winger who can be an improvement on Alexis Saelemaekers and the much-maligned Samu Castillejo would have been a decent idea.
Final Rating
Maldini and Massara admittedly did well this summer. They spent whatever small resources they were afforded on the right profiles, and loaned in other players to lower the costs. However, losing two important players for free slightly hurt their grade, as Milan hardly earned any money from those who departed during this transfer session. Nonetheless, it remains a solid summer campaign overall.
Rating: 7/10