Comparing AC Milan's 2015 Summer Transfer Moves to Their Serie A Rivals

AC Milan had no choice but to respond. They tried hard early in June to strike deals for midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia and forward Jackson Martinez, and in one week it all fell apart.

CEO Adriano Galliani calculated the club's savings in a desperate attempt to spin the news.

"If we save €40 million on Kondogbia and €35 million on Jackson Martinez we’ll have another €75 million to spend wisely over the rest of the transfer window," Galliani told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).

“Whether that’s a good or a bad thing, only time will tell.”

In the intervening weeks, Milan put that money to use, spending a total of €58 million on Colombian striker Carlos Bacca, Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano and Italian midfielder Andrea Bertolacci. And in the process, they put themselves back in the conversation of Italian football, joining the likes of Juventus and Inter as the most active clubs on the peninsula. 

Serie A in general has spent nearly €200 million in transfer fees, and it’s only the middle of July. It’s almost a necessary measure for some Italian clubs to rise again.

Juventus have made the most impact so far with 11 signings. They have also lost some protagonists in Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez, and even Arturo Vidal is set to join Bayern Munich, according to Gianluca Di Marzio’s website. So this offseason is very much about keeping things fresh for them.

For clubs like Milan and Inter, it’s about relaunching a great hub of football. The two rivals have spent well over €100 million combined in the transfer market, and they had to. Per the Daily Mail, neither Milan nor Inter will participate in Europe for the first time in 60 years and this is their response.

Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press

Inter beat Milan to Kondogbia, and they added Joao Miranda to the defence. Those signings consolidated the spine of their squad, with Mauro Icardi remaining as a threat up front. They had to spend the money, and they did.

Milan still need to make that key defensive signing, and they seem to have identified their man. Alessio Romagnoli is the 20-year-old Roma centre-back who is touted to be the future of the Italian defence, the next Alessandro Nesta, and more. But Roma keep turning them down.

Galliani told ANSA this week that Milan’s bid will no go higher than €25 million (h/t Football Italia). It’s already a high price. But Roma want €30 million, and why not squeeze every last euro out of a team in such desperate need for defensive reinforcements? The market for (especially young) defenders is shallow as it is. Romagnoli is so highly regarded that even Chelsea, with a solid back four of their own, are interested in him, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia).

To see Milan squabble over a few million euros is a bit strange at this point. It’s something they would have done a couple of years ago. But this summer they have already shown a willingness to drop the cash. 

Salvatore Laporta/Associated Press

They had no problems paying Roma a few weeks earlier. Milan made Bertolacci one of the most expensive players in club history, per Il Corriere dello Sport (h/t Rossoneri Blog). It’s no wonder Roma are waiting for a bigger offer from Milan: The Rossoneri have already exposed their hand. Nothing about Milan is discreet: They need improvements now, and they have to pay.

Milan right now are little like Manchester United of 2014, back when their executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward made it clear that the Red Devils had the money to spend. That figure made the rounds: around £150 million, according to the Daily Mirror. Everyone knew their game, and United ended up spending nearly that amount on players like Marcos Rojo, Angel Di Maria, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind.

So this is no longer a time for Milan to haggle. It’s been a solid offseason so far, with their bid for a new stadium also gaining approval, but it’s still incomplete.

They also have a ton of players for a club participating in just Serie A and the Coppa Italia. Right now their first team sits at 30. They need to drop at least five of them. Perhaps the toughest part of the transfer season is letting players go, and Juventus are the leading example here.

Almost immediately after losing Tevez, they went out and signed Mario Mandzukic. Before Pirlo left for Major League Soccer, they already had Sami Khedira waiting. There is no time wasted here. Juventus do quick business. They are still way ahead of Milan on and off the field.

By no means are these few months going to fully restore the Milan squad. The process has started, but they have to keep the momentum going.