Keeping Alessio Romagnoli Was AC Milan's Best Piece of Summer Transfer Business

This year’s summer transfer window was relatively inconspicuous from an AC Milan perspective.

They brought in six new players, two on loan deals, while eschewing the signatures of big names. And in terms of departures, the majority consisted of players who were either allowed to leave for free or whose contracts had expired.

It is permissible, therefore, to suggest the club’s most important pieces of business came not in signing or selling but in the retention of their existing stars. The 17-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and midfield creator Giacomo Bonaventura remained, while Carlos Bacca shrugged off interest from West Ham United to stay at the San Siro.

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However, Milan’s smartest move was undoubtedly rejecting bids for Alessio Romagnoli.

The 21-year-old centre-back attracted covetous glances from several of Europe’s most renowned clubs, one of which was Chelsea. The Premier League club is managed by former Juventus and Italy boss Antonio Conte, so it wasn't overly surprising to see the Blues make an effort to bring in someone who is widely regarded as one of the best young players on the peninsula.

With the transfer window nearing its conclusion, there was concerted speculation regarding the possibility of Romagnoli being whisked off by the London club. Simon Jones of MailOnline reported that Chelsea lodged a bid of £35 million for the player, but Milan refused to budge.

An official statement was later released on the Italian club's website, stating: "AC Milan has received a significant offer for its player Alessio Romagnoli from Chelsea FC. The player is not for sale, therefore this negotiation will not continue. The club wants to thank Chelsea FC with whom we will continue to have a great working relationship."

The news came as relief for all involved with the club; the idea of the team’s best central defender being prised away at the last minute of the transfer window was an intolerable prospect to consider, even momentarily.

Romagnoli signed for Milan last summer for a fee of £21.25 million after impressing on loan with Sampdoria in 2014-15. His time playing for the Blucerchiati allowed him to establish himself as a centre-back capable of operating at the Serie A level, something he continued to prove in his maiden term with the Rossoneri.

Sinisa Mihajlovic’s spell as the club’s head coach lasted less than one campaign because of a combination of underwhelming results and a dull style of football, though he did leave a tangible impact through his trust in youth.

He handed Donnarumma his debut, oversaw the development of the 21-year-old M’Baye Niang from frustrating squad player to first-team regular, gave the 19-year-old right-back Davide Calabria game time and promoted the 18-year-old Manuel Locatelli to the first team.

Thus, Romagnoli, following Mihajlovic from Sampdoria, was just one of many talented prospects the coach gave an opportunity at Milan, and he grew in stature as his first year with the club went on.

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While occasionally caught out physically, he improved in this respect, becoming more commanding in aerial challenges. And with the hulking presence of Alex to his right, he was often given licence to drop deep, concentrate on his positioning and sweep up any loose balls.

Romagnoli also began to showcase his primary asset toward the end of 2015-16—namely his ability on the ball.

With remarkable grace for a central defender, his left foot offers a smooth and precise passing outlet from the back. Over the course of last term, it became clear he was Milan’s best option to start moves, and with this in mind, Riccardo Montolivo would tend to drop deeper to allow him to push forward in possession.

His qualities in possession didn’t go unnoticed.

Barcelona, on the hunt for a long-term option to partner Gerard Pique at the heart of their defence, had a €30 million bid for Romagnoli turned down in early June, according to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).

The rumour made sense; the Catalan giants are renowned for their intricate passing moves, and the young Italian would have been well-suited to this style. However, later that month, their signature of France international Samuel Umtiti—another left-sided centre-back—from Olympique Lyonnais effectively quashed any further talk of a move for Romagnoli.

Links to Barcelona and Chelsea only act as confirmation of the talent those who watch Milan on a frequent basis will already be aware of. And it is likely the player will only grow in importance this season.

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The Rossoneri paid transfer fees for just three permanent squad additions over the summer, one of whom was centre-back Gustavo Gomez. The 23-year-old Paraguayan arrived with a good reputation on the back of helping Lanus to the Argentinian league title and has shown promising signs in his brief outings in Italy.

He made his competitive bow in Milan’s most recent league match, a 4-2 defeat to Napoli, in place of the suspended Gabriel Paletta. And while he struggled at times to cope with the movement of the Partenopei front line, he appears to possess the athleticism that was missing from the team’s defence last season.

In this sense, Gomez could complement Romagnoli. While the latter acts as a point of reference for the initial stages of the team’s attacking phase, the former would provide coverage with his pace, power and ability to recover the ball.

This could, in turn, benefit Vincenzo Montella, who has sought to implement a clear vision at Milan since being appointed as head coach in June.

The 42-year-old prefers his teams to control the game via the ball, with an emphasis on individual player movements into dangerous spaces, positional rotations and passing combinations to create good attacking moves. This style of play requires all players to be comfortable in possession, and Romagnoli fits the bill.

One of his finest attributes in buildup play is his ability to resist the opposition’s pressing. This is shown on several occasions in the video below:

At one minute and 38 seconds, he lured an Inter Milan player into pressuring him on the left touchline by feinting to play a pass down the flank before turning inside and switching the attack to the other side, while at two minutes and 19 seconds, he is shown receiving the ball in his own penalty area before moving quickly beyond his marker.

His comfort under pressure derives from his exceptional ball control, something that gives him an advantage over his markers in one-on-one situations and allows him to take individual opponents out of the game with a quick turn.

Another useful aspect of Romagnoli’s play in possession, as shown in the aforementioned video, is his effectiveness when attacking the opposition. With the touch and dribbling skill of a player who has occasionally operated at left-back, this element enables him to drive forward and commit defenders, something that is particularly helpful when up against deep defensive blocks.

In these situations, his pushing forward forces the opposition to either stand off and allow him deep into their territory or apply pressure to him and free up space in other areas of the pitch. Either way, this can lead to the creation of numerical overloads for Milan in more advanced positions.

A simpler quality Romagnoli brings to the buildup is his passing. With good accuracy and range, he is able to pick out team-mates over long distances when needed.

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Montella’s influence in instructing him to play more effective passes into dangerous central spaces will be pivotal here, reducing the number of balls played wide. This will only be aided by the more intelligent movements made by left-sided attacking team-mates such as Bonaventura and Niang, who are already benefitting from the new coach’s training.

Milan may not have caught the eye with their summer spending, but in the long term, their rejection of interest in Romagnoli is likely to prove more important than any signing. In keeping him, they have retained a player who could play an integral role in shaping a new tactical era at the club.