Leao, Pulisic, Nkunku, and Gimenez are Milan’s four forwards. Since the club is not playing in European competitions, those four might be more than enough. The issue is not the number but the system. The strikers are there, but the attacking plan is unclear.
All summer it was said Massimiliano Allegri would use the 4-3-3. Then came the change: 3-5-2. Picture a front two of Leao with either Pulisic or Nkunku, while Santiago Gimenez, the only true No. 9, though an unusual one, sits on the bench. Nkunku, the last to arrive, is a versatile forward, not a classic striker. Allegri said he will come up with something.
On paper, Leao and Nkunku look like an intriguing partnership. But then what happens to Pulisic, one of Milan’s most consistent and reliable performers in recent seasons? The 3-4-2-1 could solve the puzzle, but would Allegri sacrifice a midfielder to add another forward? And what about Gimenez? How can a striker who cost €30 million in January, greeted as a savior on arrival, be left rotting on the bench only months later?
Allegri, the alchemist, must find the formula quickly. On Sunday at San Siro, Bologna will bite like they did in May in the Coppa Italia final.
Sourece: La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition
