The issue of a striker at Milan has been a recurring theme and has been on the club’s list of priorities for several seasons now. Many names have been mentioned and several players have been signed, yet none has definitively filled this serious gap so far.
This year, strictly in numerical terms, one could point out that Leao has scored nine goals in 1,354 minutes in Serie A, averaging one goal every 150 minutes. And yet, despite Massimiliano Allegri’s conviction that the Portuguese forward is suited to the role of center forward, his performances suggest the position does not fit him perfectly. There is also the matter of his injury, which for several months has seen the number 10 take the field short of full fitness, often appearing to hold back to avoid further problems.
Still, as the saying goes, a striker’s job is to score, and Rafa has been doing that this season, ranking second in the league scoring charts behind Lautaro Martinez. Even yesterday, however, in the match in Cremona, the Rossoneri’s need for a true, established center forward was evident, someone clinical in front of goal who does not waste too many chances. Pulisic has also scored frequently relative to his playing time, eight goals in 1,041 minutes, with an even better average than his teammate, one goal every 130 minutes. Yet no one would ever think of labeling the American a traditional center forward. The same applies to Nkunku, whereas the situation differs for Santi Gimenez and Niclas Fullkrug. The former is coming off a disappointing season prior to a lengthy ankle injury, while the latter arrived in January and is not yet fit enough to lead the Rossoneri attack from the start in every match. Laying out the circumstances of all Milan’s attacking players, the need for a genuine center forward becomes clear.
After several unsuccessful signings, or rather after certain transfer decisions in the attacking department failed to deliver what was hoped for, next season absolutely requires a focal point in attack from which to rebuild. Franco Ordine shares this view. In his editorial today in Corriere dello Sport, he writes of the need for “a center forward you can rely on in front of goal, one with that famous instinct who does not need two, three, or four chances to put his name on the scoresheet. There is no need for youngsters to develop and nurture for the future, we need certainties, another Rabiot.” The concept is concise yet fitting and relevant. Just yesterday afternoon in Cremona this need was clear, given the many glaring chances wasted by Leao and Christian Pulisic. Of course, even the strongest center forward can have an off day, but this is a problem Milan has carried for quite some time. To cite a few examples, one might recall the match in Florence, the game against Genoa at San Siro, the one against Parma, and many others.
Milan, no more procrastinating:
Shifting the focus from the pitch to the equally crucial financial side, the main reason why so called big names are not linked with Milan is undoubtedly their cost. It is well known that the balance sheet cannot be overlooked and that certain operations would be almost impossible to sustain. These are corporate and ownership decisions that can be debated endlessly but cannot realistically be changed. The matter, however, deserves closer analysis. When examined carefully, it becomes clear that money has always been spent on the attacking department. The sums may not have been exorbitant individually, but taken together they certainly are. The latest example was the January deal for Mateta, writes Milan News today.
The Rossoneri had virtually completed the signing of the French striker before the physical issues that are now well known emerged, for a fee of around 30 million. Added to the 37 plus 5 million spent on Nkunku last summer, that amounts to 67 plus 5 million, a highly significant figure. What is the conclusion of this reasoning? The cause of Milan’s attacking problems is not financial but rather a matter of choices. This is not the right historical moment to gamble on a wild card who might become the striker of the future. What is needed instead is a proven certainty, like Giroud was, a ready made solution capable of giving Milan that extra step toward achieving a higher objective.
