AC Milan club have an important squad coached by Stefano Pioli and they are now fighting for the Scudetto. To get to first place, all of the players and staff must be 100% committed to the goal as the games will definitely grow harder now due to the pressure. Certainly, Milan have done so very well and lifting the famous old trophy was never a 'spoken' target at the beginning of the season. The goal was always a top four finish, anything beyond that would be a welcome bonus, from a sporting and even a financial point of view. This was said by president Paolo Scaroni himself back in October:
"I am a business man and in this year’s budget, we have the qualification for the Champions League as our goal."
Il Diavolo are close to mathematically secure the top four finish. Now, the idea is to go out each time to the pitch and play all the remaining games like finals in order to win this Scudetto. 9 games are many and it is not an easy feat. One can argue that Milan would have been better equipped for such venture if they had a richer bench. But, we understand that the club directors are aware of this and will try to reinforce the squad in the summer with greater resources, financially, that were just unavailable in the winter when the only signing for the Men's First Team was 18-year-old Serbian striker Marko Lazetic.
Before making new additions, though, it is worthy to note that 2 important players that can enter the calculations of coach Pioli and they are Tommaso Pobega and Yacine Adli.
To navigate the summer pre-season, coach Pioli needs to understand where the two mentioned above players fit into his system and vision, without forgetting the possible addition of Renato Sanches who could come in to replace Franck Kessié who is bound to exit.
Yacine Adli:
The young French midfielder who turns 22 on July 29 is regarded highly. Despite the poor results of Girondins de Bordeaux, Adli is managing to make himself stand out thanks to his technical excellence when handling the ball and his vision on the pitch to find open teammates with his long passing range. Arsenal legend Thierry Henry had high praise for the youngster and even expects to see him earn a place with the French national team in view of the World Cup competition that will take place in Qatar.
Yacine Adli vs Lille - 1 assist #LoanWatchpic.twitter.com/lzaueOe7pD
— Milan Comps (@CompsACM) December 23, 2021
Stefano Pioli, for now obviously thinks about the next game and how to finish the season. But, he does expect a lot from the player as he can add more technicality and flair to his midfield. Before the season's start, Yacine Adli will be worked on and reviewed extensively to make him understand the tactical aspects of AC Milan's style of play. But, in any case, if all goes well for him, Yacine Adli can be a leader the midfield with the other stars: Ismael Bennacer and Sandro Tonali.
On AC Milan's loanee Tommaso Pobega:
A different speech for Tommaso Pobega, but not entirely. Like Yacine Adli, the Milan Primavera product is making an important impact with Torino on loan this season. As we have revealed to you, we understand that Toro want to sign him permanently. However, Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara are resisting because they want to provide Pioli with the chance to assess him in the summer. Pobega has always been used, however, to the 3-man-midfield modules as well as other lineups except for the 4-2-3-1 system which may be a bit of a challenge on a tactical point of view. But, he will be tried and given his chances in the summer. In any case, the AC Milan loanee, Pobega, could be up for another loan spell to make him gain one more season of experience before re-joining his red and black team at Milanello for a chance to show his worth. Milan Reports can confirm, though, that a sale of the Italian midfielder is excluded unless a very attractive offer comes in. It should not be forgotten that any sale of Pobega would bring capital gain to the books and balance sheet.
Now, first, he concentrates on finishing a the season strongly under Ivan Juric at Torino, then he will do his best to convince everyone at Milanello that he can be of great use in the 2-man-midfield
To sum it up, Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara may not just be in heading towards a summer transfer window with important decisions to make, but they can also expect to welcome two valuable players who are already their own as they are loanees and may be of help. However, the midfield line will still be reinforced nonetheless if there is an opportunity. Right now, a likely trail is that of Renato Sanches who has an expiring contract in June 2023 with Lille. But, watch out for Juventus' entry as Massimiliano Allegri wants to see a quality addition in the future to his midfield department.
AC Milan boss, Stefano Pioli, in view of next season may have a good midfield, and he will be expecting a strong support from the directors of the club with hopefully a centre-back and someone capable to add more quality in the attacking department. But, for now, let's wait to see how this Serie A campaign ends.
