5 Things for AC Milan Fans to Look Forward to in 2016/17 Serie a Season

The 2015-16 season was a rough one for AC Milan. It was an improvement on last year's 10th-place finish, but the Rossoneri still didn't get where they wanted to go.

They got so close to European qualification they could taste it, but a late-season swoon saw them finish seventh—just behind the sixth place required to make the UEFA Europa League.

But in spite of their struggles, there were some bright spots to the season. From the birth of an impossibly young star in goal to the prospect of a much-needed change in the upper reaches of the club's structure, things appear set to improve in the years ahead.

What are the biggest things to look forward to in the 2016-17 season? Today we take a look at the club and find out.

The Growth of Gigio

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Gianluigi Donnarumma is already excellent—and he's only going to get better.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was the story of the season in Serie A. Sixteen years old when the campaign started, Donnarumma was a surprise starter on October 25, when then-coach Sinisa Mihajlovic benched a struggling and injured Diego Lopez against Sassuolo.

With the exception of a March game against Chievo, when he left 18 minutes in as a precaution after taking a knock to the head, he played every Serie A minute thereafter.

Donnarumma was a key contributor this year. He made a handful of world-class saves, and in some games, such as Milan's goalless November draw against Atalanta, his work saved points. Along the way, he earned a cap with the Italy under-21 national team. Just 17, he became the youngest player to start for the Azzurrini.

As well as he played, Donnarumma has plenty of room to grow. Physical maturation will augment his skills. He will probably get better at reading shots and stop throwing himself at every ball that comes within five feet of his posts. He especially needs to refine his distribution and improve with the ball at his feet—mistakes in these areas nearly cost goals over the course of the year.

Given his innate talents, those improvements will likely come with age and experience. It will be fun to watch as he does while still making the kind of saves that have already marked him as one of the better goalkeepers in Serie A.

Young Players

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Davide Calabria impressed in limited work.

Donnarumma wasn't the only teenager who impressed at Milan this year.

Like Donnarumma, Davide Calabria was brought with the team for their preseason travels in China and Germany. Eighteen years old at the beginning of the season, Calabria impressed during those preseason matches and, like Donnarumma, was kept with the first-team squad when the season began.

A good thing too because by the 18th minute of the fourth game of the season, against Palermo, both Luca Antonelli and Ignazio Abate had picked up injuries, leaving Mattia De Sciglio and Calabria as Mihajlovic's only healthy full-backs.

Calabria impressed on his debut, sending the key pass that provided the opening goal in Milan's 3-2 win over the Rosaneri.

Calabria started the next two games before the players ahead of him got healthy again. His play was more sporadic after that. He played a Coppa Italia game against Crotone and the odd Serie A game, mostly as a sub. His play was solid every time.

There are more where those two come from. Manuel Locatelli only got on the field twice this season, but his potential as Milan's regista of the future is enticing. Other youngsters out on loan such as forward Davide Di Molfetta and midfielder Alessandro Mastalli also have promise. Primavera captain Sebastian Gamarra has already been capped for Bolivia at 19.

There's promise in the first team too. Midfielder Jose Mauri could still make good on the potential he showed with Parma before the Crusaders imploded in 2014-15.

How these young players develop will bear watching as the 2016-17 season plays out. If some can establish themselves in the team, it could be a great benefit to the team.

M'Baye Niang

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M'Baye Niang could capitalize on the his breakout year in 2016-17.

Until this year, M'Baye Niang's most notable moment in a Milan shirt was a miss against Barcelona in the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League knockout stage.

After that, he went on half-season loans twice: once to Montpellier in France and once to Genoa. He scored nine goals combined in those two loan spells, and when Milan kept him on the roster last summer, it seemed like he might actually get his chance to play.

A foot injury kept him out until the beginning of November, but when he finally made it to the field he made a huge impression. He dovetailed well with fellow striker Carlos Bacca, providing a more mobile dribbling threat than the Colombian, who is more of a classic target man.

In his third game of the year, he scored two goals and notched an assist in a 4-1 win over Sampdoria. In 16 games, he scored five times and recorded four assists—good for second on the team behind Giacomo Bonaventura (eight). He also scored three times in three games in the Coppa Italia.

Niang's season was cut short by an ankle injury he suffered in a car accident, but his breakout was a welcome thing. Not only did he show an eye for finishing, but he can also create with the ball at his feet. That creativity is much-needed at AC Milan, who suffer from a severe lack of creativity in the midfield.

Niang's last game in the league was on February 27. From that point on, they only won twice in Serie A. The loss of Niang was obviously a catalyst for the Rossoneri's late-season collapse. With him back in the team, Milan could be far more dynamic—and next season could be quite exciting.

Giacomo Bonaventura

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Bonaventura was easily Milan's best player this year.

Over the last two years, Giacomo Bonaventura has been Milan's best player. Whether he's played as a wide midfielder, a trequartista or an out-and-out winger, he has been consistently excellent.

This season was an improvement on last year. According to WhoScored.com, Bonaventura scored six goals and recorded a team-high eight assists—double what he had provided the year before. He also averaged 2.1 key passes per game and 3.2 shots per game, also career highs.

The team's sole major creative outlet, Bonaventura is only getting better. With more stability in the manager's office and some augmentation in the transfer market, there's no telling how well he could play next season. Watching to see whether he develops further will be entertaining as the campaign progresses.

Change at the Top

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Silvo Berlusconi could sell this summer after 30 years in charge.

Milan fans have been clamoring for a change in ownership for some time, and it now seems their wishes are about to come true.

According to China Daily (h/t Football Italia), a consortium from China headed by entrepreneur Robin Li has agreed to buy 70 percent of the club.

The move would give Milan a huge cash infusion and perhaps the spending power to bring in the kind of players who could finally get them competing with the likes of Juventus again. It would also remove president Silvio Berlusconi and CEO Adriano Galliani from the decision-making process when it comes to transfers.

While that may take some time—the deal would reportedly see Berlusconi remain as president for three years after the sale—if the takeover does go through, it would be massive. It could eventually remove the toxic influence of Berlusconi and Galliani, who are stuck in the past and haven't shown themselves capable of bringing the club into the future.

If Milan does change hands, it would be one of the stories of the summer—and something all Milan fans have been looking forward to for a long time.