4 Players AC Milan Could Sign to Solve Their Central Midfield Problems
AC Milan’s tumultuous 2015-16 season wasn’t helped by an absence of inspiration in central midfield. In such a crucial area, the team lacked both leadership and quality, and they subsequently struggled to knit together defence and attack.
The Rossoneri alternated between 4-3-1-2, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 formations, meaning they often required three central midfielders to play together. This, however, proved more difficult than was initially expected.
Nigel de Jong left the club in January having failed to provide adequate defensive cover, Andrea Bertolacci spent most of his time out injured or out of form, Jose Mauri didn’t start a league game until 25 April, and team captain Riccardo Montolivo was below par for much of the campaign.
Undoubtedly, central midfield is an area that Milan need to strengthen this summer. Here, Bleacher Report takes a look at five potential signings to address the problem.
Lucas Biglia
1 of 4
Age: 30
Club: Lazio
Value: £13.5 million
2015-16 League Rating: 7.43
Lucas Biglia enjoyed an excellent third season in Serie A on a personal level, even if his team-mates weren’t able to match him for consistency or quality.
While Lazio failed to build on their third-place finish in 2014-15, the Argentina international continued to show the sound positional sense and excellent passing range that have made him one of the world’s most effective defensive midfielders in recent years.
At 30, Biglia doesn’t have much upside, but he would provide Milan with some much-needed central stability.
Amadou Diawara
2 of 4
Age: 18
Club: Bologna
Value: £6.5 million
2015-16 League Rating: 6.76
This time last year, Bologna’s Amadou Diawara was playing in Lega Pro for San Marino. One year prior to that, he was playing for a church team in Guinea, per UEFA.com. It speaks volumes about the 18-year-old’s confidence and maturity that he has been able to handle such a fast rise to prominence so adeptly.
2015-16 was his first term of Serie A football, but the youngster did not look out of place. He offered good defensive support from the base of midfield, pressured the opposition well and showed decent, albeit improvable, passing ability.
Diawara is one of the top prospects in Italy, so Milan would have to fight for his signature. Indeed, Radio Kiss Kiss (h/t Football Italia) has reported he is set to join Spanish side Valencia for a fee of €10 million.
Mateo Kovacic
3 of 4
Age: 22
Club: Real Madrid
Value: £15 million
2015-16 League Rating: 6.50
Rather predictably, Mateo Kovacic has not found life at Real Madrid easy. He left Inter Milan for Los Blancos last summer, but he has not yet established his place in the team with competition for places coming from the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Despite this, he has managed to record a solid 90.5 per cent pass success rate from the games he has taken part in.
According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Forza Italian Football), Milan are considering a loan deal to bring the Croat back to Serie A. Such a deal would not only give the player a chance to rejuvenate his stalled career, but also to add class to an average midfield.
Kovacic’s inventiveness, imagination and ability to progress the ball through passing or dribbling would give the Rossoneri a crucial creative edge in the centre.
Mirko Valdifiori
4 of 4
Age: 30
Club: Napoli
Value: £3.75 million
2015-16 League Rating: 6.69
When Mirko Valdifiori joined Napoli last summer, it was expected that he would transition seamlessly into their midfield as the deep-lying playmaker. He had, after all, excelled in that exact role at Empoli under the auspices of Maurizio Sarri, who was appointed Rafa Benitez’s replacement in the Partenopei dugout.
However, things did not quite go to plan for the 30-year-old.
Jorginho made the position his own early in the season, meaning Valdifiori was restricted to just six league appearances. He nonetheless impressed when given opportunities in the Europa League, earning a 7.46 average rating in the competition.
His agent, Mario Giuffredi, discussed the possibility of his client moving to the Rossoneri, telling MilanNews (h/t Football Italia): “Obviously we’d be very happy if Milan were following him,”
Languid and technically gifted, Valdifiori is able to dictate games from deep, which is something Milan have desperately lacked of late.
All values are from Transfermarkt.co.uk. All other statistics are provided by WhoScored.com unless otherwise stated.
