AC Milan Need Wesley Sneijder, but Does He Need Them?

By all accounts, Wesley Sneijder is happy at Galatasaray. He said as much earlier this month.

"I am very happy at the club and I am not going to leave," he told Dutch television, as per Turkish news agency Anadolu.

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And why would he?

An icon at the Istanbul giants, who made good on their promise to correct an October pay lapse, Sneijder is winning trophies and playing Champions League football in Turkey, and he remains an important figure in the Netherlands' international setup.

But AC Milan are hopeful that he fancies another stint in Serie A, and according to Corriere dello Sport (via talkSPORT) the Rossoneri are readying a January loan bid for the 30-year-old.

They could certainly use him.

Winless in four matches and with just a pair of victories since September, Milan are languishing in the middle of the Italian top flight and could conceivably miss out on European football for an unconscionable second season in a row.

Jeremy Menez, who began the campaign brightly, is struggling to combine with Fernando Torres up front, and the 4-3-3 formation preferred by new manager Filippo Inzaghi rarely has even the look of incisiveness on the attacking side of the halfway line.

Milan are desperate for a linking player—a true No. 10 who can capitalise on the possession behind him while picking out the forwards with accurate passes.

Naturally, Sneijder fits the bill, and it was only two years ago that he tried to orchestrate a move from Internazionale to the Nerazzurri's San Siro rivals, as recalled by Goal.com.

But Milan's fortunes have dipped decidedly since then, and the contracting economics of Italian football mean that the Serie A to which Sneijder would return would little resemble the division in which he won the treble during his time with Inter.

He could be forgiven for wondering what, if anything, is in it for him.

Assuming his wages remain as they are, the Dutch playmaker would immediately become the most important contributor in Inzaghi's squad, although the former striker would likely have to adjust his tactics to something more direct.

A 4-3-1-2 in which Inzaghi operated during Carlo Ancelotti's tenure at the club would suit Sneijder perfectly, as would the 4-2-3-1 with which the 41-year-old has experimented at times this season. And with Champions League qualification still a possibility, the former Ajax and Real Madrid maestro would have a high-profile objective to chase.

If he wants to. At least at Milan.

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Galatasaray will almost certainly miss out on the round of 16 of this term's Champions League competition—a reality that could make it easier for them to dispense with their best player, even if they're in a three- or four-way battle for the Super Lig title.

That Sneijder will also be out of contract the summer after next could entice the club to sell him outright, and in that event Milan almost certainly wouldn't be in the picture given the state of their finances.

If Sneijder wants to go on loan to the Rossoneri, he'll likely have to force the move.

But will he? Probably not.

His prospects are better elsewhere, even where he finds himself at the moment.