Analyzing Milan's Potential Mr. X
Have been busy with several works lately, so don't really have much time craving up some of my thoughts about AC Milan's transfer market for the new season (I didn't even made any recap for last season lol ;P) but my work is pretty much football related as well, so at times I just kinda had enough of it I guess. Okay, straight to the topic that have been roaming down the thoughts of many Ac Milan fans (especially new fans, the 2000 era milanisti that is), I have some stuffs to share about the transfer market that comes from simply my hunch (after years of watching and following the team, you kinda have some ideas about how the management actually works).
Understanding the Market
Many of the new fans that have been following twitter, joining forums, etc gets easily caught up this days with the media rumors, especially those coming from online medias that normally quote opinions from Italian journalists. Explaining the way rumor mills usually works, I can assure you 70% of the news printed in credible media are true, in the sense that the players being mentioned are indeed on the club's shopping list. Giving an example, I can assure you that the likes of Ganso, Javier Pastore, Marek Hamsik, Cesc Fabregas, Riccardo Montolivo, Alberto Aquilani, etc are all within the interest of the Rossoneri. However, which ones that will arrive it all depends on several things, mostly it's about opportunity and availability, because that's pretty much how the Rossoneri management works best.
The Rossoneri fans surely acknowledged that Milan always have spending ability as that's why they are a big club, not only by tradition but also financial status. However, ones must also realistically see that Mr. Berlusconi's ability to cash out currently is not as huge as the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona or even Bayern Munich, not because the president can't do it but because he can't afford to go crazy.
Being the prime minister of Italy with all of his controversy, the last thing that Berlu would want to get is another criticism coming due to his over spending on a football club instead of caring for the country's wealth. Last season's mega coup of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho in the summer, along with Antonio Cassano, Mark Van Bommel in the winter are deals that shows more of the opportunity and availability rather than Milan going crazy spending spree in the market. So, I pretty much expect the method that the Rossoneri will do won't be that much different, although the cash involved could be bigger this season since now the management do have more to spend than last summer, but the road taken will most likely be similar.
From the arrivals so far, you can see that the method being done is still Milan-like, acquiring free agents such as Philippe Mexes, Taye Taiwo; getting young talent with a unique deal in Stephan El Shaarawy; having their potential youngster, Alberto Paloschi, back on the squad; and off course getting still unknown talented youngsters such as Ricardo Ferreira, Gianmarco Comi, for possibly the Primavera; all were deals that commonly done by Adriano Galliani and co. What's left now is a 'special' player that many have expected all along, known by many as the Rossoneri's Mr X, which had a ridiculous physical description by both Galliani and Massimiliano Allegri, that causes confusion all over the media since none of the names the press linked matched the profile.
Seeking Mr. X
After the rather joking-like description of Mr. X, people have pretty much taken a wise measure by sticking to possible names instead of googling for someone that would 100% fit the physical explanation of the mysterious player. Some of the common names being acknowledged by basic Rossoneri fans are the likes of Marek Hamsik, Ganso and the recent Bastian Schweinsteiger, aside from them, there are also others like Javier Pastore, Cesc Fabregas, Alberto Aquilani, along with Ricardo Montolivo, or even Samir Nasri, who are being silently whispered globally but highly in Italy.
Although the potential arrivals can actually be analyze, personally I don't want to get myself trapped in the echoing new fans typo, reading too much into rumors, starts youtube-ing for players, building up hype, ends up disappointed when the players linked didn't arrive. Just like I said, Milan's management emphasize their work in the market by searching for opportunity and availability, not that they don't have targets, there are lists of players, but at times the Rossoneri will only choose based on the moment.
Do I believe there's a pre-agreement with some players, notably the most talked about Ganso? yes and no. why? simply because the Rossoneri probably had other targets on the same situation as well, waiting which ones is the best to acquire. One thing that the fans should really take is there's no such thing is a done deal transfer until a player passed a medical test and signed a contract with the club, so just to be cautious don't really give to much of a read for rumors, speculation especially on social medias, forums, or non-credible sources.
One thing for sure, just watch closely on one of Milan targets that could provide the availability and opportunity to be purchased by the Rossoneri this summer, that's pretty much what might the fans get. Many may believes that the Red and Black squad would enter a bidding war and cash out as many sources they got for a player, but that won't actually be true. Massimiliano Allegri's team will try to acquire the possible option from their crop of transfer list, by seeking the one available with the best opportunity that arise in the transfer market. So, don't be surprised should the name that most common people predict won't be arriving, but I can assure you the one coming will have the same class, quality and likability among the Rossoneri's ranks.
written by Dewa Nugraha
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