In the press conference before the last league match against Udinese, Stefano Pioli, responding to a question about the transfer market, stated that, considering Tommaso Pobega's long-term injury, who will be out until April, and the departure of Rade Krunic, he wouldn't mind reinforcing the midfield.
The feeling, however, is that no one will arrive in that position unless a great opportunity presents itself in these last days of January.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports this morning that the reinforcement in the midfield will be Ismael Bennacer: his Algeria has been eliminated in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations, so he is ready to return to Italy. It remains to be seen when he can return to the field since the Rossoneri midfielder missed two out of three national team matches due to a muscle problem.
It shouldn't be anything to worry about, but the feeling is that he should not really be available for Saturday's match at San Siro against Bologna, and it's more likely he will be ready the following week against Frosinone.
With Bennacer's early return, Stefano Pioli will have five players available for three positions, which isn't many, but it should still be sufficient for the second half of the season. This is the thought of the Rossoneri club's executives, who are still working to try to gift the Milan coach with another central defender. The names circulating are still numerous, and at Casa Milan, they are waiting for the last days of the transfer market, hoping that one of the targeted players can arrive on loan.
Trevoh Chalobah, Clément Lenglet, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Lilian Brassier: will one of them arrive, or will some other unexpected name emerge? The possibility that no one arrives is not excluded either. Milan doesn't want to sign a player just for the sake of it; they need a profile that can be useful to the team.
