Summer Mercato 2016

[reza]

Selling Lewan would make some of the Galliani moves look good. I think Bayern would be crazy to let him follow Pep.

[devoted_dm]

Getting a bit concerned about Barca scouting Romagnoli. We've finally got our defense sorted out, and he's huge part of the reason. I hope we're not stupid enough to let him go. That being said, it seems like Berlusconi has become more ambitious again when it comes to Milan, so hopefully we can hold on to our top players for a while now.

[prebozzio]

Currently, for the season 2016/2017 the central defenders with a contract are:
Romagnoli
Rodrigo Ely
Paletta.
Paletta is playing a good season with Atalanta, he is a solid player, and he didn't play that bad with us during the few months he stayed here; he can be a good option for the bench. Rodrigo Ely needs to make some experience in serie A, I reckon he will play on loan at Genoa or another medium team.
Mexes, Zapata and Alex contracts are expiring. One or two of them will remain.
I don't think this summer we will spend a lot on defenders, and remember that Galliani usually buys players from certain teams (Genoa in primis) and agents. So attention to garbage like De Maio.

For a crazy offer I think Bacca will go. He is a great scorer, but he doesn't help the team to play better: that's why the couple with Niang is perfect, because the french defends, comes to the midfield, takes fouls, runs.
For 60 millions I would let him go.
But attention to Galliani and Preziosi: after selling Adriano to the chinese team for 15 millions, Galliani was ready to give this money to Preziosi for Pavoletti. Pavoletti is a good player, but I would never spend more than 6-8 millions for him.

As far as I see, currently the main interest of the management is not to build the best team possible, but to keep on surviving and guaranteeing their political interests in football affairs.

[slifersd]

Slifersd, I'm not sure why age is such a big deal to you many times. I remember us talking about Donnarumma a few months ago and you saying that he is too young to be a #1 right now so we should look for someone else. If the player is good, he is good. Simple as that. Age should not be a factor.

Mammana is 20yrs old....the same age of Romagnoli when he became a starter at Milan. I don't see ANY issues with those 2 playing together in the heart of the defense IF they have the quality. My opinion after watching Mammana play multiple times is that he IS good enough to play in Serie A and do very well. Sure that may turn out to be false....but I've seen the player and it's my opinion. But to discard this as a "possibility to cause major problems for us" because of age alone is something I don't agree with.

Now, I do think that Glik and Tonelli can be very good players for us. As a matter of fact I've been saying for around a year now that I was more impressed with Tonelli at Empoli rather than Rugani. I'm not sure how much these players will cost but I don't think we'll go and spend another 25mil on CBs (including Mammana). Alex has deserved a one year contract extension and Zapata (although deep down I agree with you that he is a disaster) is not bad for a 4th option CB. You are not going to find many 4th choice CBs better than him. And as a 4th choice, he probably won't play more than 3-4 times per year anyway (save for some disastrous injury situation). Alex can perfectly sit in as that bridge for Mammana to get acclimated. He is already here and he'll be free. I am not sure we should spend 10-15 mil on Glik/Tonelli because we think Mammana is young and he is not ready.  

I guess what I'm saying is that, I'm so sure that Mammana will be a hit and the perfect partner for Romagnoli, that I can't justify spending extra money on other CBs....especially not because Mammana is 20yrs old. In theory, if we were to lose Zapata, Mexes, and Zapata...than like it or not we would have to spend on CBs because we simply won't have any. But out of those 3, I would gladly extend Zapata and Alex if we were indeed getting Mammana this summer.....and save whatever else is in the budget for a CM.

I see what you are saying, quality is, at the end of the day, the most important attribute to a player's success. I have no problem with that argument whatsoever. But, what you are not taking consideration is the risk factor in all of this. As a good manager, it is important to factor in all the risk you are taking on when making a decision. A good team should always try to layer its depth chart with quality rotation players to account for the risk. 

Young players, by definition, are more prone to having major fluctuations with their performances. This fluctuation isn't necessarily because of their level of talent, but rather the ability to deal with all the issues that comes with being such a public figure. Imagine the life of a professional soccer player in Milan for a moment, think about how many things they need to think about on a daily basis outside of their performance on the field. A player needs to know how to train, study tapes, maintain their body, deal with media, coaches, fans and their own inner circle. That is a lot for a young kid who has only been famous for a year or two to learn in a pinch. And that is teams who are good at developing young talents always tend to have a group of solid veterans on their team to pass on their wisdom to these young kids. Many young players failed at taking that next step to stardom because they couldn't handle the environment rather than their talent level (think Balotelli).

Mammana is the perfect example of this. I agree that this kid could be an amazing player for us for a very long time. But put yourself in his shoes and look at how many obstacles he has to overcome in order to perform at a high level here. He is moving to a different country where he has to adapt to a different culture, learn a new language, leave all of his friends and families behind, work with a completely new coaching and training staff and face tougher competition on the pitch. Not an easy situation for a 20 year to deal who probably never slept away from his own bed for more than a week at a time. The kid needs the time to settle into his new environment before he can completely dedicate himself to the soccer aspect of his life is all I am saying. 

In order to fully maximize his potential, Mammana has to situate himself into Milan (find a comfortable place to live, figure out transportation, know where to eat, shop and play etc), learn to work with new training and coaching staff (how to train, what to train and how to do tape study, etc.), learn a new language, and build chemistry with his teammates. Again, all of this stuff takes time to happen, and without them, it is hard for a player to go out and play his best. Can you imagine if you get send to work in Korea and you try to be 100% productive your first week there? We like to think a player will just play because he knows how to kick a ball, but the game of soccer is much more complex than that. There are a lot of things that need to go right behind the scenes for players to be good on the pitch. Guys like Romagnoli and Donna have an easier time with this because they don't have to go through a lot of the struggle that Mammana does. They already know the language, the city, the culture and in Roma's case, even the league and the competition. The transition for Mammana will be a lot more difficult, and that is why I am concerned that he might not be ready roll starting the first match of the season. Thiago Silva was a failure in his first European stint because he was too young to handle his new environment, not his quality. 

It is always easy to fall in love with a player and think he will just go out, play great, and play every game for us. But reality is often much more complicated than that. I think Mammana is a terrific player who will have a fantastic future, but I do recognize that he has a lot of obstacles to conquer before he can be fully unleashed. Unfortunately, European soccer is a "what have you done for me lately" type of environment for all players. A few bad games in a row, media and fans could be screaming bloody murder at a player. And that is why I think it is important to get insurance for Mammana in the form of solid, reliable veteran players who can hold the fort down until he is truly ready. If Mammana is ready by day 1, fantastic, but I really don't want to trout him out there before he is ready.

[porcho]

WCmilan agree with most of that except I don't want Diego Costa. The guy is a retard and for 40-50 mill better to go for Lukaku as someone here previously suggested...

I do feel though someone like Zaza would be goood, not sure Juve would let us have him, or even LAcazette from Lyon... Bother old enough to have some experience, but young enough to still improve dramatically. Plus not expensive options...

For CB, Mammana would be awesome, but I still feel like we need a more experienced option eg. Nkolou, who's for free end of season, or Tonelli
If we get Mammana and Nkolou/Tonelli and we let Alex(older, slow, big wages) and Zapata or Mexes go. or let them both go and keep Paletta?

We also need a very good central midfielder... Montolivo has turned things around but we need someone better eg.Witsel. Or at least add in a good young midfielder to the mix... eg. Andre Gomes, or even younger; Tielemans.

I do feel that, with the current lack of money situation, we need to look more toward the future. If that means a year extra struggling along then so be it... better to have that than to keep signing players that just aren't good enough.

[ACM2023]

As excited as I am with young stars, I feel that Romagnoli should benefit more from a more experienced partner, at least for one or two more seasons. If Alex can remain healthy, I wouldn't mind him staying (or even starting depends on his form). But of course, counting on him staying healthy probably is a big IF.

I can't believe that we don't seem eager to improve our midfield. Galliani...

[nefremo]

I see what you are saying, quality is, at the end of the day, the most important attribute to a player's success. I have no problem with that argument whatsoever. But, what you are not taking consideration is the risk factor in all of this. As a good manager, it is important to factor in all the risk you are taking on when making a decision. A good team should always try to layer its depth chart with quality rotation players to account for the risk. 

Young players, by definition, are more prone to having major fluctuations with their performances. This fluctuation isn't necessarily because of their level of talent, but rather the ability to deal with all the issues that comes with being such a public figure. Imagine the life of a professional soccer player in Milan for a moment, think about how many things they need to think about on a daily basis outside of their performance on the field. A player needs to know how to train, study tapes, maintain their body, deal with media, coaches, fans and their own inner circle. That is a lot for a young kid who has only been famous for a year or two to learn in a pinch. And that is teams who are good at developing young talents always tend to have a group of solid veterans on their team to pass on their wisdom to these young kids. Many young players failed at taking that next step to stardom because they couldn't handle the environment rather than their talent level (think Balotelli).

Mammana is the perfect example of this. I agree that this kid could be an amazing player for us for a very long time. But put yourself in his shoes and look at how many obstacles he has to overcome in order to perform at a high level here. He is moving to a different country where he has to adapt to a different culture, learn a new language, leave all of his friends and families behind, work with a completely new coaching and training staff and face tougher competition on the pitch. Not an easy situation for a 20 year to deal who probably never slept away from his own bed for more than a week at a time. The kid needs the time to settle into his new environment before he can completely dedicate himself to the soccer aspect of his life is all I am saying. 

In order to fully maximize his potential, Mammana has to situate himself into Milan (find a comfortable place to live, figure out transportation, know where to eat, shop and play etc), learn to work with new training and coaching staff (how to train, what to train and how to do tape study, etc.), learn a new language, and build chemistry with his teammates. Again, all of this stuff takes time to happen, and without them, it is hard for a player to go out and play his best. Can you imagine if you get send to work in Korea and you try to be 100% productive your first week there? We like to think a player will just play because he knows how to kick a ball, but the game of soccer is much more complex than that. There are a lot of things that need to go right behind the scenes for players to be good on the pitch. Guys like Romagnoli and Donna have an easier time with this because they don't have to go through a lot of the struggle that Mammana does. They already know the language, the city, the culture and in Roma's case, even the league and the competition. The transition for Mammana will be a lot more difficult, and that is why I am concerned that he might not be ready roll starting the first match of the season. Thiago Silva was a failure in his first European stint because he was too young to handle his new environment, not his quality. 

It is always easy to fall in love with a player and think he will just go out, play great, and play every game for us. But reality is often much more complicated than that. I think Mammana is a terrific player who will have a fantastic future, but I do recognize that he has a lot of obstacles to conquer before he can be fully unleashed. Unfortunately, European soccer is a "what have you done for me lately" type of environment for all players. A few bad games in a row, media and fans could be screaming bloody murder at a player. And that is why I think it is important to get insurance for Mammana in the form of solid, reliable veteran players who can hold the fort down until he is truly ready. If Mammana is ready by day 1, fantastic, but I really don't want to trout him out there before he is ready.

There is not a single word in this that I don't agree with. Which is why I suggested that we keep Alex and Zapata for 1 more year so that they can be that bridge for Mammana (IF HE NEEDS IT). Our opinions differ where you mentioned for us to buy Tonelli/Glik PLUS Mammana, which will cost us 10-15 mil (for Tonelli/Glik) and 10mil for Mammana. I am saying that I trust in Mammana's ability (and hopefully all the other stuff will fall in place too with time) that I would not waste 10-15 mil on Tonelli/Glik and would rather use that money for a midfielder....and hold on to Alex and Zapata.

[porcho]

nefremo and slifersd - no reason why we couldnt bring in Nkoulou and Mammana. Nkoulou is avail for free. Leaves us with Mammana, Nkoulou, Romagnoli, Zapata/alex

[somedevil]

Currently, for the season 2016/2017 the central defenders with a contract are:
Romagnoli
Rodrigo Ely
Paletta.
Paletta is playing a good season with Atalanta, he is a solid player, and he didn't play that bad with us during the few months he stayed here; he can be a good option for the bench. Rodrigo Ely needs to make some experience in serie A, I reckon he will play on loan at Genoa or another medium team.
Mexes, Zapata and Alex contracts are expiring. One or two of them will remain.
I don't think this summer we will spend a lot on defenders, and remember that Galliani usually buys players from certain teams (Genoa in primis) and agents. So attention to garbage like De Maio.

For a crazy offer I think Bacca will go. He is a great scorer, but he doesn't help the team to play better: that's why the couple with Niang is perfect, because the french defends, comes to the midfield, takes fouls, runs.
For 60 millions I would let him go.
But attention to Galliani and Preziosi: after selling Adriano to the chinese team for 15 millions, Galliani was ready to give this money to Preziosi for Pavoletti. Pavoletti is a good player, but I would never spend more than 6-8 millions for him.

As far as I see, currently the main interest of the management is not to build the best team possible, but to keep on surviving and guaranteeing their political interests in football affairs.

This is what I am afraid of. Galliani will just waste the Bacca sale money on random players, mostly from Genoa. I am almost convinced that between Milan and Genoa there is some serious money laundering operation going on. As Barbara asked some time ago, why are so many deals done with Genoa and with one or two particular super agents (like Raiola).

I also agree about Paletta. I'd rather have him on the bench than Mexes/Zapata.

[Jay Crisp]

Even with the somewhat crazy fees paid nowadays , no team will pay €60m for a 30 year old Bacca.If he is sold I see us getting back the €30m that was paid...and by us I mean Berlusconi.But if he is sold I dont see it being reinvested , I see it as a balancing act ...book balancing with more austerity to come.