Milan had not lived a few days under pressure like this for a long time. The Coppa Italia defeat against Lazio opened the Rossoneri’s Pandora’s box, even though it was the first loss since August 23. And we are in December.
Sure, there were other missteps in the meantime that did not bring zero points, Pisa and Parma above all, but the negative feelings were mostly contained.
Actually, the 1–0 at the Olimpico reopened cracks, not as deep as last year’s, but still present. Until now Massimiliano Allegri managed to limit them, covering issues, yet something must also shift around the coach to help him solve clear problems you can no longer run from.
Substitutes with no impact...
Since the start of the season, in 15 matches, only 3 goals have come from players coming off the bench: two from Pulisic, Lecce in Serie A and Coppa Italia, and one from Athekame against Pisa. A small total that matches the number of substitutions used by Allegri. Milan is the team that uses its bench the least during matches, fewer than 3.5 per game in the league, while opponents exceed 4.5.
Allegri expects more from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and still believes in his qualities 🔝📢#ForzaMilan 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/Vu4yK8Nz3q
— MilanReports (@MilanReportscom) December 7, 2025
Does Massimiliano Allegri need an intervention from the club on the market level?
This shows how the squad is not reliable in all its parts and how the alternatives do not match the level of the starters in every role. De Winter is not yet at the level of Tomori, Gabbia, and Pavlovic, and Ricci, Jashari, and Loftus-Cheek do not reach the standard of Fofana, maybe the exception, Modric, and Rabiot. But what about the attack? Pulisic and Leao move at a pace Gimenez and Nkunku, with fitness problems and more, cannot even come close to. The right wing in midfield is another issue, where Saelemaekers is often forced to work extra because of the clear drop when Athekame comes in.
Now, fans are keeping an eye on the attacking dilemma that Massimiliano Allegri is facing, especially thanks to platforms such as https://planbet.bet/. In addition to that, the need for a reinforcement is why the club needs to act with some urgency in January.
At least two or three additions are required to help head coach Massimiliano Allegri extend his rotations, avoid overloads on some players, and get far stronger impacts from those coming off the bench. The roles are clear, defender, right-sided midfielder, and forward. If this does not happen, the coach and the team risk facing an even more complicated second half of the season, with a real chance of a sharp drop in performances and results. There is still fuel in the tank, but to avoid running on empty, another refill is better.
The AC Milan team needs more firepower and depth in attack. Santiago Gimenez, Rafael Leao, and Christopher Nkunku do not seem to provide the answers the fans, and perhaps the coach too, are looking for. So, should Milan be looking for a new central forward in the January transfer market window?
What did Massimiliano Allegri say about the issue?
"We’ve talked about it many times. Real strikers: with Juventus, Milan, and even Cagliari, I had only one, Higuain. Mandzukic moved a lot, played left wing. Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Cassano, Pato… Ibra was better at directing others; he played striker in old age. It’s a matter of characteristics; I try to put them in the best conditions. The important thing is scoring. Currently, of our four forwards, two have 10 goals. We need Nkunku, Gimenez, midfielders, and defenders scoring. At season’s end, to be at the top, you need goals scored and few conceded. No team wins or reaches top spots with a minimal goal difference; that’s math. Signing a new striker in January? We are still a month away; we have an important week with these two games."
The issue here is not only the need to bring in a new striker, though: it is much deeper than that. In fact, the Coppa Italia elimination at the hands of Lazio told us several things. The first is that Allegri must give the team a style of play even in the first halves and not remain anchored to the format of the recent period, the one of “I wait, I close up, then I try to find the winning moment.” In the long run, it does not pay off, a team that wants to go all the way must lead the matches. The second point, if confirmation were needed, is that the squad is incomplete and lacks quality in many of the secondary players.
For this reason, an ambitious club (perhaps Milan?) should work hard to improve the team in the January market. From what emerges, it does not seem to be a window approached by the top management at Casa Milan with the desire to be protagonists. It would be an incredible mistake, in this situation, not to try to ride the wave of ambitions and not make an extra effort to try to fight for the Scudetto.
Today there are two cases at Milan, both in attack.
The first is Santiago Gimenez: it has now been almost a month and a half since the Mexican last appeared on the field. Out for an ankle problem not further specified and, in fact, communicated on social media by the player himself and not by the club. We recall that Allegri had publicly stated that he expected to have him available for the derby on November 23. In the meantime, while waiting for a return date that today does not exist, social media, the agent, and even the father are speaking. A rather questionable management.
Then there is Nkunku, a true mysterious object. In December, it can no longer be a matter of fitness. Also because the impact had not been bad: penalty won (and not given), post, goal in the Coppa Italia. From there it has been a continuous decline. The feeling is that the French player is mentally blocked, almost afraid to play. One statistic is emblematic: in the last three matches he has never taken a shot. The last one was on November 8. Football, we remind, is not hide-and-seek.
