In what is expected to be one of the most exciting Serie A campaigns in recent times for AC Milan, the rossoneri will expect improvement from last season’s sixth placed finish. After having almost assembled a whole new starting XI, Milan are determined to return to the top both at home and in Europe.

 

It’s not as if all the business has been done on the buying side either, space has been made and created for the new signings, with the Europa League campaign having kicked off already.

 

All ten acquisitions are likely to raise the bar at the club, which was not good enough to challenge for the Scudetto once again last term. The capture of Leonardo Bonucci from the reigning champions Juventus though, signals the intent that the club now has with the new Chinese owners in charge. 

 

Other signings, like the ones of Andrea Conti and Franck Kessie from last season’s surprise package Atalanta, shows that the club is ready to compete with the other clubs for quality young players. Hakan Calhanoglu, who is one of the most feared dead-ball specialists in the world right now, and Ricardo Rodriguez, who earned the knack for being one of the most consistent left-backs in Europe, are another example of how ambitious the board is and how they’re signing players that will increase the ability of the side as a whole.

 

Mattia de Sciglio was offloaded to Juventus for a £10 million fee and it doesn't seem as if the Italian international’s exit will act as a cause for concern for Milan. De Sciglio played either right-back or left-back last season, but the presence of Conti and Rodriguez ensure that the bar has been raised already. Kessie himself, is versatile enough to play either right-back or centre-back. Due to that, Leonel Vangioni’s exit is also unlikely to cause any issue.

 

One can certainly expect the duo of Mateo Musacchio and Bonucci to form a solid centre-half pairing, with the impressive Alessio Romagnoli also likely to feature. Perhaps, Montella can well deploy a 3-5-2 formation more often this season, after having flirted with it a few times last term. This will allow all three of Romagnoli, Bonucci and Musacchio to form a tough defensive line.

 

Andre Silva brings the promise of goals, with Carlos Bacca loaned out to Villarreal and Gianluca Lapadula loaned out to Serie A rivals Genoa. Fabio Borini is also roped in, the former Liverpool man will look to play as a back-up for the signing from Porto. Reports continue to link the rossoneri with Andrea Belotti and it would be interesting to see whether they will look to bring the Torino superstar in. What would be more interesting will be how the side will look like. 

 

Milan open their campaign away to Crotone on Sunday, followed by a home game against Massimo Rastelli’s Cagliari. The important games come after October, but there is a tricky trip to the capital to face Lazio on the September 10.

 

The depth that the side has acquired should help them go far in the Europa League, with two legs against Macedonian outfit Shkëndija yet to played out. It isn’t as if the window has closed and one can expect Milan to make more signings. 

 

Despite that though, a successful title charge seems highly unlikely. It’s not always about the signings that a club makes, but it’s also about the quality of the players that it has at its disposal.  Milan may have signed ten players, but one would be well to point out that the likes of Roma, Napoli and Juventus still have more quality in their ranks. A top-four position however, is highly achievable.



Kaustubh Pandey (@TheFootyMad)