A top four fight is not enough: Short-term stagnation the enemy to Milan’s long-term planning | OneFootball

AC Milan have started the 2024-25 season with a lack of consistency that should cause alarm when it comes to planning the future of the club.

As our colleagues at SempreMilan.it write, Paulo Fonseca’s time at Milan so far has seen his side alternate superlative performances like against Inter and Real Madrid with more negative nights against easier opponents on paper.

Indeed, it seems that the ceiling is high under the new coach but the floor is low. The result is that the Rossoneri are at present eight points off top spot and even six points away from Juventus in sixth, so a turning point is needed.

Train departing soon

While there is a battle at the top with six teams separated by just two points, Milan are on the outside looking in, at least ahead of the huge game against Juventus on Saturday.

It provides a chance to cut the gap and to compact things further in the top portion of the Serie A table, perhaps re-establishing Milan’s name among the teams competing for the Scudetto, which was the pre-declared target of the management.

uring an interview with the UEFA Champions League magazine done before the game against Real Madrid, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was asked for his thoughts on where Milan are heading, as the Senior Advisor.

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“I believe in the project, I believe in what Milan represents, and I think I share the same vision of the people who work there and the ownership because they want to do extraordinary things,” he said.

“They want to make history, to win, and when it comes to winning, that’s when I feel alive, because I want to win, I will do anything to win and I won’t give up until I win. We work hard and have big ambitions, as I said.

“The results must come because, if you don’t win, you don’t get something in return. This year some results are missing, but there are many new things in the club.”

The overall outlook remains positive from the leadership therefore, yet Milan have already shown serious defensive weaknesses at the beginning of the season, and are now on 20 goals conceded in 15 games. With that goals per game record, winning trophies is virtually impossible.

Now there is a chase on for the Champions League places given fourth place is seven points away. It would become four if the game in hand away against Bologna were won, but that is a long way down the road and the three points cannot be presumed.

What we have is a situation whereby Milan are currently selling a project publicly – to the fans, prospective signings and current players – that claims to have winning titles as the modus operandi. The league position and certain investment decisions call this into question, which could cause issues.

Guarantees needed

One of the things that the directors must take into consideration when planning the future is renewing contracts of those who require a pay rise or for the deadline to be extended.

Going through each case individually, there have been new discussions with Mike Maignan which have confirmed the French goalkeeper’s desire to remain with the Rossoneri which is of course a very good starting point.

In recent months there have been some rumours about interest from clubs abroad but Milan never started negotiations to sell him. The will of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada is to find an agreement with the goalkeeper before the start of the 2025-26 season.

Indeed, the ownership have given the green light to increase Maignan’s current salary of €3.2m net per year to €5m until 2029. Given his status as one of the best in the world in his position, it seems very fair.

Theo Hernandez’s initial request via his entourage was set at €8m net per season a few months ago, a figure that goes beyond the maximum limit set by Milan who are paying Rafael Leao €7m and they do not want to go above that.

However, during the trip to Real Madrid, there were reports that a face-to-face meeting took place between the management and Theo’s agent. It was apparently positive meeting that highlighted the desire of both parties to continue together.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Now we need to find a point of agreement on the figures. Theo currently earns €4.5m net per season and would like to receive no less than €7m. Again, though, the shadows of big foreign sides like Bayern Munich persists, adding a certain urgency to things.

Matteo Gabbia is close to extending his deal from the (approximately) €1m net per year he received to a new contract worth over €2m per season until 2029. That should be the easiest of the extensions to complete, and could even be announced soon.

Then we come to Tijjani Reijnders, who is under contract until 2028. While there is no pressure of an imminent deadline he seems to be the most in-demand player, so a pay rise and an extension until 2030 is being discussed through his father-agent.

The will is to move forward together, earning around €3m net per season. The issue is if the phone calls start coming in from elite sides who are willing to quadruple his salary rather than just double it, something well within the realms of possibility for Premier League teams.

Rafael Leao’s future is not a renewal issue per se given he signed a contract until 2028 with the Rossoneri last year and has a release clause of €175m, but Fonseca’s man-management and the rumours about Barcelona have meant there has been some early season turbulence.

Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images + OneFootball

After almost six years in Italy who is to say that Leao might not wish to try a new experience? The winger constantly says that he is comfortable at Milan, but that level of comfort must surely coincide with a mutual desire to collect more silverware than just the 2021-22 Scudetto.

Finally, we come to Christian Pulisic. The USA international has found a new lease of life at Milan, contributing 11 goals and assists in 15 games so far this season after a brilliant debut campaign.

This has turned heads in England yet again despite his previous failure at Chelsea. There have been recent reports linking Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United with a move, so again while it is not a contractual problem there is a need to demonstrate the club are moving the right way.

Signs from above

It’s great to have all of these players that can be considered among the best in their respective roles (the consistency that they play at this level is another debate), the challenge is to keep them happy.

In truth it doesn’t feel like any of the stars are agitating to leave and they may feel a sense of individual and collective responsibility regarding the rollercoaster results, wanting to put it right rather than jump ship.

Yet, so much of what is pondered about Milan’s future comes back to one word: ambition. Translated: do RedBird Capital intend to push the project to the next level, by dishing out several contracts at the level of Leao to safeguard key players.

Not only that, but they must dig deep in their pockets to keep attracting and signing quality players to put around the already established pillars. Only in that way can a short and long-term winning model be established – the time for experimenting with €10-20m gambles ended last summer.

As we highlighted in our feature about technical director Geoffrey Moncada’s future, we highlighted the choice of the head coach as being the subject of debate and the over-arching symbol of ambition.

It rings true here too: the best players want to be managed by someone who will make them even better. With no disrespect meant to Fonseca with the following, plus an acknowledgement he could still deliver success, he is not the guaranteed upgrade on Stefano Pioli many wanted.

In fact, the Milan leadership actually went from Pioli earning €4m net per year to Fonseca’s €2.5m net. While the pay packet a coach receives isn’t everything, any variant of failure built into projections for the old coach must be built in for the Portuguese too, if not to a greater degree.

We end with the words of Gerry Cardinale, that emerged on the night that a photobook was released that celebrates the glorious 125 years of the club’s history. The owner provided the foreword, which contained an interesting passage.

“I had the privilege of attending the Scudetto celebration in Piazza del Duomo shortly before purchasing the team and was deeply moved by how much this team means to the fans and the city of Milan.

“[…] When we took on the responsibility of leading this historic club, we did so with a deep appreciation for its illustrious history, a commitment to preserving its legacy, and an obsession with returning AC Milan to the pinnacle of European football.

“Our journey together is not just about winning titles; it is about honouring the tradition, values, and spirit that have made AC Milan a symbol of excellence and pride for generations. This book chronicles the extraordinary stories, triumphs, and trials that have defined our Club.”

Once again it is a case of words and deeds. A club of the Rossoneri’s stature means that players always have a reason to join, but their stagnation from the 2010s onwards and lack of consistent winning means they have had a reason to leave too.

Such a season of celebration with the century-and-a-quarter mark brought up is at risk of drifting into obscurity again already. That is not befitting of Milan, and the ones who will be the first to make the star men aware of that is their agents and other clubs.