Mazzara: Milan management must ‘reverse the trend’ as rivals move first | OneFootball

The AC Milan management are under pressure to do business and make some statement signings as their rivals have made a better start to the summer, a journalist has claimed.

Today is the first day of preseason at Milanello and there is a strange climate surrounding the club. Paulo Fonseca’s arrival as head coach was greeted with a mixed reaction, while he will find no new signings on day one while a lot of the big names are missing too due to international commitments.

Geoffrey Moncada and the management are no doubt working on various options to strengthen the squad but there is a growing sense of panic and frustration among sections of the fan base that there is not a single notable signing through the door, especially given the obvious gaps to address.

Pietro Mazzara gave his thoughts on Milan’s quiet start to the mercato during his latest column for MilanNews, and referenced the fact that the Curva Sud will not be present today as their protest continues.

“It is necessary to intervene on the market, because Juventus have already got Douglas Luiz (a €50m operation), Di Gregorio and Kephren Thuram. Spending money and going on the attack for Koopmeiners. Inter has already taken Taremi, Zielinski and Martinez.

“Napoli has put a forty on the table for Buongiorno, has taken Spinazzola for free and is moving knowing that sooner or later they will start the Osimhen domino with Lukaku in hand. The Milan column, on the other hand, is almost empty.

“The Zirkzee soap opera seems to have come to an end  with Manchester United entering the final straight and which is still a disappointment for how things were going. Milan, in fact, is fighting alone a systemic battle which is that of the commissions, but until there are regulations from above, it will be an ideological battle that will bring more defeats than victories.

“Now the hottest name for the attack is that of Alvaro Morata. The Spanish striker would be an excellent addition, very ‘underrated’ in the global consideration, but the captain of Spain is a great player.

“The problem is that the Morata-Jovic pairing would not represent an upgrade compared to Giroud-Jovic, but would equal the level. At least another striker would be needed, perhaps with different characteristics, to make a more complete and functional department.

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“At Casa Milan, however, they do not seem to be at all agitated, leaving the anxieties outside the control room. They let it slip that the players will arrive and that the team will be stronger than last year. The hope, as a Milan fan, is that they are right, but facts are needed.

“Finally, one of the topics that will be discussed is the absence of the Curva Sud at the gathering. There were starts to the season made up of Bakaye Traoré, Constant, Poli, Albertazzi, Agazzi (no one should be offended, they were the ones who hung around Milanello in those years), and yet the Curva were there.

“The press release from a few days ago was eloquent and exhaustive, but seeing the external pitch of Milanello ‘naked’ is a sign that no one can underestimate.

“The ball is in the management’s court to intervene in the market (Emerson Royal could close this week), but a name will also be needed to reverse the trend. Because Ibrahimovic’s ‘God mode’ no longer has any hold.”