3 AC Milan Players to Watch out for in 2015 Pre-Season

The pre-season schedule is just about to start, and there are several players on AC Milan with a real shot at impressing their new coach.

Sinisa Mihajlovic has already put the team through double training sessions, and competition is only growing with the transfers of Carlos Bacca, Luiz Adriano and Andrea Bertolacci. Reports from Sport Mediaset and La Gazzetta dello Sport suggest Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also on the way back to Milan (h/t Football Italia). Meanwhile, Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Axel Witsel is "working towards joining Milan," his agent told Fantagazzetta (h/t Football Italia).

That puts even more pressure on some of the younger attacking players in the squad.

Here's a look at three in particular.

Suso

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Suso is just starting his Milan career, and he already knows what it's like to be sidelined. In half a season with the Rossoneri, he made just two starts. Former coach Pippo Inzaghi didn't really favour him despite the club suffering in the standings and moving to get him from Liverpool in January.

But to his credit, the 21-year-old is ready to fight for his place.

"I can be a regular. I want to show what I can do, then the coach will decide," Suso told Milan Channel (h/t Football Italia).

There is a little more breathing room without Stephan El Shaarawy, whose transfer to Monaco is all but done, according to Gianluca Di Marzio's website. Mihajlovic will most certainly play Suso in pre-season games against Lyon, Inter and Bayern Munich. The Spaniard can play as an attacking midfielder, but he would first have to supplant Keisuke Honda in the lineup.

Hachim Mastour

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Hachim Mastour is the most popular youth in Milan's set-up, and he is already attracting interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, per Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).

"His media rights alone are very valuable, as the teenager already has sponsorship deals and made ads with Neymar," wrote Football Italia.

However, the 17-year-old Mastour has not yet made his senior debut for Milan. He has been on the bench; he has played in friendlies, but that's it.

Milan have to be careful with Mastour. They cannot lump a lot of pressure on him like they did to El Shaarawy following a mass exodus of veterans and stars in 2012. A few appearances here and there would not hurt.

Mastour could get his biggest taste of senior action during Milan's pre-season tour. Sooner or later, Milan will have to test him.

M'Baye Niang

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

M'Baye Niang recently signed a contract extension until 2019, confirming the club's belief in a player they signed as a teenager.

He only blossomed last year on loan at Genoa, where he scored five goals in 12 starts.

"I return to Milan in a different state of mind. It's not a question of taking revenge on doubters, but of showing what I can do," Niang told Foot Mercato (h/t Football Italia).

The extension seems to have invigorated him. But ahead of him in the pecking order are Bacca, Adriano and perhaps Jeremy Menez. Niang started out as a winger, but in Mihajlovic's winger-less system, the 20-year-old will have to find space as a secondary striker.