5 Players AC Milan Should Clear out in 2015 Summer Transfer Window

AC Milan has endured one of the worst seasons they've seen since the dark days of the early 1980s, and now it's time to step back and assess where the club needs to go from here.

Much of the blame from fans has been placed at the door of manager Filippo Inzaghi, and it is clear the legendary striker bit off more than he could chew in making Milan his first job as a manager on the senior level.  But to lay the blame solely with him is excruciatingly unfair.

The team he had at his disposal was decidedly mediocre.  Few of them truly earned the red and black stripes with their play on the field.  Arrigo Sacchi would've had trouble finishing in the top five with this roster.

Milan need to start rebuilding this summer, and the first step in that process needs to be to cut the fat from the roster.  There are some players, like Diego Lopez, Giacomo Bonaventura and Stephan El Shaarawy, who can be building blocks for a rebuild, but few other players can be looked at as untouchable.  Indeed, a lot of them probably need to go in order for Milan to get back to where they used to be.

Some of the dead weight is already being shed.  On Tuesday, in an announcement on the club's website (h/t Football Italia), it was revealed that midfielder Michael Essien had signed a two-year contract with Panathinaikos.  The free agent is the first to go, but he shouldn't be the last player the team cuts ties with.

Who needs to go?  Here are the five players Milan needs to get off the books the most.

Cristian Zaccardo

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Cristian Zaccardo is so irrelevant to Milan that the photo you're seeing above—the most recent one available to writers here at B/R—is from a game that took place in 2013.

He didn't play a minute for Milan this year until February, when he was slotted into a defense depleted by injury and suspension and somewhat miraculously scored a goal in a 3-1 win over Parma.  He got another start a week later—and got steamrolled by a rampant Juventus team.  He was so bad that he was withdrawn in the 78th minute with his team already down 3-1.

He returned to action in the penultimate game of the season against Torino and set up Stephan El Shaarawy's opener, only to be sent off 24 minutes later on a straight red.

Zaccardo contributes little to the team but for some reason is still signed through next year.  It is better that Milan let him go somewhere, anywhere, regardless of whether they get any money for him, than to keep paying dead wages.

Sulley Muntari

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Muntari is one of a string of men who shouldn't have worn the armband this season.

Sulley Muntari hasn't been good in years.  Like, since he was with Inter.

Muntari spent most of the first half of the season taking a spot in the lineup that could have been filled by promising young players like Bryan Cristante and Riccardo Saponara—neither of whom are with the team anymore—and doing absolutely nothing while there.

The fact that he was actually a player in the game of musical captains that Riccardo Montolivo's injury caused this season is patently absurd.  His performance in the game he did wear the armband—the 3-1 loss to Juventus—was pitiful.

Even more despicable than his play were his actions in April.  After Inzaghi finally started playing Marco van Ginkel in his place, Muntari—fully aware he was not in the club's plans—asked to be taken out of the playing rotation entirely.

Knowing that he is not a part of the future plans is fine.  Being upset with that is fine.  But to totally abandon the team you're still under contract to—while still collecting your money every week—is pretty low.

Muntari has a contract until 2016, but he's almost certainly out of the setup this summer.  Whatever his future endeavors turn out to be, his legacy at Milan will be a poor one.

Philippe Mexes

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Mexes' attack on Mauri may have been the final straw.

Philippe Mexes is an enigma.  When he's truly on his game, he's actually a pretty good defender.  He's nothing world class, but he's certainly competent.

When the Frenchman isn't on his game, it's a whole different story.  He can very suddenly become disinterested in his job—and that's at the best of times.

At the worst, he's a red card waiting to happen.  He's been sent off three times in the last two years.  His indiscipline reached a climax in January when he physically attacked Lazio's Stefano Mauri.  That resulted in a lengthy suspension that was unofficially continued by Inzaghi for several more weeks.

When he finally did get onto the field, he started playing pretty well.  He even scored twice.  But he's so unpredictable that the risk of having him on the field is too great.  Adding his instability to the fact that he's been one of the highest-paid players on the team since Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva were sold in 2012, it's clear to see why the team's fans have been less than happy with his performance.

Mexes isn't the kind of player who deserves the money he's being paid.  With an effective defensive pair in Alex and Gabriel Paletta—not to mention the little-used Adil Rami—it's time to move on from the Frenchman.

Jeremy Menez

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Menez had a career year—and Milan needs to capitalize.

Unlike the other players on this list, Menez isn't on here because he's been ineffective.  He's on here because his value will never be higher.

Menez scored 16 times this year, but half of those goals came from the penalty spot.  More often than not, especially in the second half of the year, he had fans smacking their heads in frustration as his selfishness led to the failure of yet another promising counterattack.

There is interest in Menez.  Il Corriere dello Sport reported interest from Menez's former club Monaco (h/t Football Italia)—and it's not the first time he's been connected to the principality.

That No. 16 is going to do a lot to mask the deficiencies in his game.  Milan's attack looked its most fluid this year over the last month—while Menez was serving a four-game suspension for verbally abusing referees.  It's clear he isn't necessary to the club's success.

Based on this year's statistics, Milan can get eight figures for him.  He's not going to have a season like that again, and it's time for Milan to cash in on him now.  If he's on the roster next season, Milan's front office will have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Daniele Bonera

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Bonera has been beaten on the ground and in the air this year.

Why?  Why why why why why?

Why does Daniele Bonera EVER see the field?

That was the usual refrain of Milanisti everywhere as Pippo Inzaghi picked him again and again.

In all, Bonera played in 16 games this year—16 too many.

In those 16 games, he's been sent off twice and has been directly responsible for a dozen or so goals.  He's not starting quality for any team in Serie A.  Starting him in Serie B might be pushing it.

Bonera had no business on the field this year and has no business being a Milan player.  His contract is up at the end of the month, and he should not, under any circumstances, be re-signed.  To do so would be a fireable offense.