Seasons roll by, ownership changes, coaches and directors come and go, and every summer Milan finds itself back at square one in an endless and tedious game of snakes and ladders: which centre-forward should they bet on? If we think that the last two to leave a tangible mark were players much closer to 40 than 30 (Zlatan Ibrahimović and Olivier Giroud) it becomes clear how that slot has turned into a nightmare for the Rossoneri. Now, a new round and a new race with the arrival of Rúben Amorim.
The future of Giménez makes no difference: even if he stays, he would not be the first-choice striker. A new forward will arrive, and the Portuguese coach is already starting to draw up a list of requirements and perhaps even wishes, given that his style of play demands players extremely suited to his ideas (one of the reasons things went wrong in Manchester was precisely this: a squad not suited to his philosophy). And so the name of Gonçalo Ramos emerges.
For those who are interested in player odds, looking at Gonçalo Ramos’ statistics could help in making key, informed decisions before participating in sports betting, as understanding how he usually performs in front of goal can help supporters better assess his true ability.
Here are Gonçalo Ramos' numbers:
A compatriot, certainly. Geographic ties are not and will not be an essential factor, but they obviously help. Amorim has never coached him, but he knows him well from the days when he was at Sporting and Ramos was playing for SL Benfica. Fierce derbies. The opportunity mainly comes from Gonçalo’s current status at dream team Paris Saint-Germain: he is very happy in Paris, where he has added trophies to his collection, but he certainly does not play as much as he would like. His numbers last season show 1,309 league minutes across 30 appearances, 14 of them as a starter, with 6 goals, writes Gazzetta. The tally rises to 12 if all competitions are included (including 2 in the Champions League), for a total of 1,704 minutes: one goal every 142 minutes, a far from poor ratio given he lacks continuity as a starter.
Finisher:
PSG fell in love with Gonçalo after watching him at SL Benfica, of course: 41 goals in 106 appearances, more than enough to convince Emir Al Thani to open his wallet. Transfer cost: 65 million plus 15 in bonuses. Today the Portuguese costs significantly less, around the forty million mark, which is, in truth, the minimum required to secure a striker capable of building a cycle around him. The age is right (he turns 25 on Saturday), and so are the qualities. Even with limited minutes, it cannot be said he has failed in Paris. He is well suited to Luis Enrique’s idea of constant rotation, or as a tactical variation when the false nine trident does not work. Ramos is the classic central striker who acts as a pivot inside the box, but he can also function as a ‘finisher’ for more mobile teammates, helping to open up defences. This role, however, has ended up relegating him to an alternative option, often used in the closing stages of tight matches. In effect, he is a lock-breaker, highly effective late on when opposition defences are exhausted by the movement of the starting front three. By mid-last season he was among the most effective substitutes in Europe in terms of goals-to-minutes ratio.
Gonçalo Ramos' breakthrough:
If he does indeed arrive at Milanello, he will need to reclaim the starring role he enjoyed at Benfica and, for a time, with Portugal: his hat-trick against Switzerland in December 2022 at the World Cup in Qatar even overshadowed the star power of Cristiano Ronaldo. It was his fourth international match, his first start, and he was only 21; that breakthrough made everyone’s eyes widen. The problem is that Portugal then exited in the quarter-finals against Morocco. Ramos, however, had brought a breath of fresh air, with a modern interpretation of the role: a striker who operates in the box but also moves, presses, runs, and combines play. Bernardo Silva said of him at the time: "Gonçalo works very hard and is a great guy; it’s nice to have teammates like him who think of the team." Exactly what Amorim asks for, what he needs.
For him, the central striker must be good at making runs, providing depth, and of course offering quality on the ball. That box gets ticked here, considering that as a youngster Ramos operated as a second striker and therefore knows how to move intelligently.
His aerial ability should also not be underestimated, making him a complete forward: technique, movement, heading, and goalscoring instinct. And a calm character too: he is a highly valued presence in the PSG dressing room.
