AC Milan had a busy July, bringing in six players. Some are brand new to the club, whereas others impressed enough during their loans that they were brought back. It’s clear that Milan are positioning themselves for success both domestically and in Europe, and these moves are indicative of that, but there’s still more to be done.
AC Milan Transfer Grades
New Members of the Squad
The brand new members of the Rossoneri include Olivier Giroud, Mike Maignan, and Fode Ballo-Toure.
Giroud was brought in at a fee of €1 million. Despite his age, that is a complete bargain. The Frenchman remains a fantastic striker, as seen in his Champions League performances for Chelsea, and is a leader. Milan have Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front, but now have solid depth as well. The two will be an interchangeable duo who will provide leadership and mentorship to the relatively young squad.
Maignan will face the pressure of replacing Italian starlet Gianluigi Donnarumma. Milan fans, however, will be very supportive. The Rossoneri acted quickly, securing Maignan’s services before Donnarumma was an official Paris Saint-Germain player. A fee of roughly €15 million for the top goalkeeper in Ligue 1 last season is a solid deal. Even more so, Maignan is also young with more potential.
Lastly, there is Ballo-Toure. He comes in as a depth option at left-back behind Theo Hernandez. Coming from Monaco, Ballo-Toure has a decent amount of experience under his belt. His powerful and quick style of play mirrors that of Hernandez, which will give manager Stefano Pioli a strong substitute option.
Grade: 9/10. All of these moves make sense and were reasonably priced.
Proven Loan Players
The Rossoneri are bringing back Fikayo Tomori, Brahim Diaz and Sandro Tonali.
The Tomori move is permanent. He’s already cemented his place as a starting centre-back after his stellar performances last season. The Englishman is also young, perfectly fitting into Milan’s timeline. More than that, he’s strong in the air, quick on his feet and great at positioning. This deal was a no-brainer for the club. He is going to start for years to come.
Diaz makes waves as the team’s ‘super-sub’. As of right now, due to the departure of Hakan Calhanoglu, Diaz is slotted as a starter. Of course, there’s plenty of time for that to change. With that being said, Diaz is skilled, can create plays out of thin air, and very versatile. Real Madrid have a buyback option, but at worst Milan keeps Diaz for two seasons.
Tonali did not play as much as expected last season, but Milan are smart to bring him back. The young Italian has seemingly limitless potential. He will be vital in January when midfielders Franck Kessie and Ismael Bennacer will be unavailable due to the African Cup of Nations. Tonali can very well be the future of Milan.
Grades: 8/10. All of these moves are great, but Milan faithful likely wanted to see Diaz become a permanent Milan player.
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