Monthly Archive: February 2025

Week 25: Milan – Verona

Milan – Verona Serie A matchday 25 February 15 2025 20:45CET

Milan showcased their inability to work hard and consistently. A 1-0 loss versus Feyenoord in Rotterdam was correctly characterized as embarrassing and perhaps worse. Many of the 11 on the pitch could easily be identified as not working hard enough to reverse an early setback via a Maignan mistake. Conceicao may already be looking at incapable to advance Milan up the Serie A table and in the Champions League. A narrow away loss could be reversed next week but continuity and much more is needed just to finish the season on a promising note.

The squad as it is built post winter transfer window especially is providing the coach with various options up front. The so called fantastic four that is now available to Milan may or may not last as a starting unit but Pulisic, Feliz, Leao and Gimenez are certainly an attacking threat but this may not be enough for a balanced 11. Not to mention that the fixture list makes it near impossible to play the best possible players every game. As such the likes of Sottil, Jimenez and Chukwueze may get starts.

Pavlovic has shown more passion than most and should be given the chance to remain a regular starter at the back but the likes of Theo need to do much more. Planety of winnable games in the coming weeks will provide ample evidence as to who is most committed to the shirt. After Verona Milan has Serie a games versus Torino and Bologna. The latter being the week 9 postponed game.

Verona sit in 15th place in the Serie A table and have conceded 53 goals so far. The most in the league.

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Milan Winter 2025 Transfers

Milan’s winter 2025 transfer window ended with a flurry of incoming transfers and by most estimates on a positive note. The window concluded with three loans and two transfers. Kyle Walker, Riccardo Sottil and Joao Felix arrived on loan from Manchester City, Fiorentina and Chelsea respectively. Santiago Gimenez for €35 million from Feyenoord and Wareen Bondo for €10 million from Monza were the two full arrivals.

Player Summary
Name:
Kyle Walker
Date of Birth:
May 28, 1990
Age:
34
Height:
1.83 m
Citizenship:
England
Position:
Fullback
Foot:
Right
Agency:
None
Ownership:
AC Milan
Contract Expires:
Jun 30, 2025
Current Club:
AC Milan
Joined:
Jan 24, 2025
Player Summary
Name:
Santiago Gimenez
Date of Birth:
Apr 18, 2001
Age:
23
Height:
1.83 m
Citizenship:
Mexico
Position:
Forward
Foot:
Left
Agency:
None
Ownership:
AC Milan
Contract Expires:
Jun 30, 2029
Current Club:
AC Milan
Joined:
Feb 3, 2025
Player Summary
Name:
Warren Bondo
Date of Birth:
Sep 15, 2003
Age:
21
Height:
1.77 m
Citizenship:
France
Position:
Midfielder
Foot:
Right
Agency:
None
Ownership:
AC Milan
Contract Expires:
Jun 30, 2029
Current Club:
AC Milan
Joined:
Feb 3, 2025
Player Summary
Name:
João Félix
Date of Birth:
Nov 10, 1999
Age:
25
Height:
1.81 m
Citizenship:
Portugal
Position:
Forward
Foot:
Right
Agency:
None
Ownership:
AC Milan
Contract Expires:
Jun 30, 2025
Current Club:
AC Milan
Joined:
Feb 3, 2025
Player Summary
Name:
Riccardo Sottil
Date of Birth:
Jun 3, 1999
Age:
25
Height:
1.8 m
Citizenship:
Italy
Position:
Forward
Foot:
Right
Agency:
None
Ownership:
AC Milan
Contract Expires:
Jun 30, 2025
Current Club:
AC Milan
Joined:
Feb 3, 2025

Calabria’s long rumoured exit became reality, his contract due to end this summer was not to be renewed and he joined Bologna after 18 years in the Milan organization. Okafor’s time at Milan was deemed less than successful and he joined Antonio Conte’s Napoli on loan. Morata started well at Milan but the less than healthy forward faded soon after, Milan found an interested team in Turkey and the Spanish forward left to Galatasary on an expensive loan with an option. Bennacer’s departure to Marseille happened quickly and left Milan’s management less than happy.

Week 24: Empoli – Milan

Empoli – Milan Serie A matchday 24 February 8 2025 18:00CET

It could be argued that the transfer window that just concluded ended on a positive note for Milan. The rumoured Santiago Gimenez transfer from Feyenoord materialized. The self proclaimed Milan fan was bought for around €35 million, a sizable investment by Milan standards. Warren Bondo was bought from Galliani’s Monza for another €10 million. Kyle Walker’s earlier arrival was supplemented with Joao Felix and Riccardo Sottil loans to bolster the attacking depth. Four departures in Calabria, Morata, Okafor and Bennacer varied from expected to somewhat surprising.

Some of the newcomers – Felix in particular with a goal – showed their worth in the midweek 3-1 beating of Roma in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals. Now the Serie A work starts. A changed lineup is to be expected but will the formation look all too different? For this match away to Empoli it seems that the likes of Leao and Reijnders will be rested as the new team takes shape. Felix and Sottil are expected to get debut starts with Gimenez ready to jump in if needed. Bondo is not 100% and may not available for another week. The back four welcomes back Thiaw who is expected to partner Gabbia. Walker and Theo will be the fullbacks. Musah and Fofana should be the mid starters with the aforementioned Bondo filling in Bennacer’s spot on the squad for the upcoming matches. Pulisic also needs a rest but it will have to wait. Abraham will get another chance to score goals following his two goal performance against his parent team in the Coppa Italia. Sottil is set for an early debut following his arrival from Fiorentina. The Italian forward was not the subject of a prolonged rumour, a unusual occurrence by Milan standards.

Lorenzo Colombo is of course a familiar name for Milan fans and has scored six goals so far this season on loan at Empoli. His team sit 16th in the Serie A table and have not won a game this calendar year.

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Week 23: Milan – Inter With Transfer Deadline Hours Away

Milan – Inter Serie A matchday 23 February 2 2025 18:00CET

The month of January started well with new coach leading Milan to a SuperCoppa win in Saudi Arabia. Excitement at Conceicao’s compact and demanding style rose hoping to ignite players into better shape and form. Results since have not matched the early expectation. There have been wins but mostly laboured and losses to Juventus and a poor loss to Dinamo Zagreb this midweek have raised questions again.

The Champions League loss in Zagreb deprived Milan of a top eight spot in the new format UEFA competition. Less money and an extra home and away playoffs (versus Feyenoord) await Milan. Milan is also still eighth in the Serie A table.

The winter transfer window closes on Monday February third and Milan have so far been quiet but mentioned often in rumours, as is typical. Whether by design or forced into action by the Champions League result The last hours of the window has the team moving. Calabria is already on his way to Bologna, his summer expiring contract making it a cheap operation for Bologna. Morata’s time at Milan is to last six months with the Spanish forward off to Galatasaray on loan. Tomori has been the subject of a Tottenham bid but seems likely to stay. The quoted transfer fee for the English defender is €30 million. This amount is what was paid for him 3.5 years ago when he was a younger player with little top flight experience and without a Serie A trophy. Surely Milan can demand more.

Santiago Gimenez is set to become a Milan player. The Mexican Feyenoord forward is set to replace Morata with the hopes of a longer term impact. Ironically his move was developing as Milan were paired with the Dutch team in the Champions League playoffs.

The derby is set to feature a Walker debut alongside Tomori, Pavlovic and Theo. The quartet will in front of Maigana will need to show good form to contain Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez and co. The switch to a 4-3-3 without a suspended Fofana means Bennacer, Reijnders and possibly Mussah will play in midfield. Leao, Abraham and Pulisic are the likely front three as Milan don’t have that many options. The subs are set to be Chukwueze, Okafor, Jovic and Camarda. Okafor is being offered to others, Jovic is always an exit candidate and Camarda may be set for a dry loan, possibly to Monza, all in the name of more playing time. Some would say he can and should be the getting that time at Milan.

Inter’s squad is relatively healthy with recent absentees Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi available to play.

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