International inconvenience [Newsletter]

The international break is underway and as usual, it feels more like an inconvenience rather than an exciting opportunity to watch your country in action. This is especially true for AC Milan, who have started the season with three wins in three games and would have liked to use the momentum.

The schedule has been pretty good for the Rossoneri so far as there has been a week (give or take) between each game. However, all hell will break lose after the international break and the break itself will drain a lot of energy from the Milan players, with 15 of them called up for duty. The preparation for the derby, in other words, is far from ideal.

Of course, the same goes for Inter and in that sense, no complaints can be made. Given that they are the only two sides with nine points after three games, though, it would have been very cool for both to properly prepare for what could be an amazing spectacle at San Siro. More about that in next week’s edition, though.

The players that haven’t been called up by their respective national teams, including the likes of Davide Calabria, Pierre Kalulu, Alessandro Florenzi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, resumed training at Milanello yesterday (Tuesday). The Frenchman’s presence is especially important given the suspension of Fikayo Tomori.

Pioli admitted earlier this summer that Kalulu has been working a lot as a right-back in training and the break is thus convenient for him, as he can shift focus to the centre of the defence. Of course, he has played a lot as a centre-back before (even against Roma) and there should be no problems for him.

In other news, the transfer window has officially closed and you might have seen our summaries on the website (our signings and our sales). If you are interested in a deep-dive on the mercato, including the figures of each signing/sale and the effect on the balance sheet, make sure to check out our bonus article on the matter.

There’s no doubt that Giorgio Furlani, Geoffrey Moncada and Antonio D’Ottavio did a very good job with the funds at their disposal. We have seen it at the start of this season and although the derby will be the big test, the Rossoneri will be heading into the clash with less pressure on their shoulders after nine points collected.

News bulletin

➤ AC Milan's Primavera side have started the season in excellent fashion as they followed up a 3-1 win against Monza last weekend by beating Bologna 4-1, putting them top of the league.

➤ Milan are set to poach Vincenzo Vergine from Roma to be the new head of the youth sector. It appears to be a fantastic coup, given how highly rated he is and the trophies won in the capital under his guise.

➤ Stefano Pioli's preparations for the derby will be impacted by the fact that 15 players have been called up to represent their country over the break. You can see the full list here, including the fixtures they will be part of.

➤ Milan did not make a big investment on a striker, so naturally speculation has followed that it will come next year. Jonathan David's name has been linked the most, but Carlo Pellegatti reckons the scouts are eyeing an OGC Nice forward too.

➤ Despite making 10 new signings, Milan's wage bill remains stable compared to last season with even a slight decrease in the total gross amount. Calcio e Finanza have the list of what each member of the squad earns.

➤ Milan tried to address the left-back position during the summer but Fode Ballo-Toure's late exit meant they stuck with an internal solution for now. However, a Real Betis defender is on their list for future windows.

In case you missed it

Make sure to check out the latest podcast episode, and our latest bonus podcast in which the lads give their take on the UCL draw. The next bonus podcast will be about our deadline-day signing of Luka Jovic, so keep an eye out for that! Are you interested in a paid subscription? Read all about it here.