Midfield rebuild nears completion [Newsletter]

The imminent announcement of Tijjani Reijnders, as well as the advanced negotiations over Yunus Musah, means AC Milan could have their midfield completed even before the pre-season tour in the United States has begun. An important signal from the new management.

Stefano Pioli made it clear from the start that he wanted as many reinforcements as possible before the pre-season tour in the United States. This is something that Giorgio Furlani, Geoffrey Moncada and Antonio D’Ottavio have delivered on, focusing mainly on the midfield.

The focus on the midfield is certainly justified, not just because of Sandro Tonali’s transfer and the injury of Ismael Bennacer, but also because new midfielders need more time to adapt. Reijnders, Musah (one step away from Milan) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will have to be given the benefit of the doubt when figuring out the Rossoneri’s style of play, just like Bennacer and Tonali once needed.

It’s thus very positive that Pioli will be able to test the three new arrivals already during the first pre-season games. Milan will face Lumezzane at Milanello tomorrow (Thursday) at 17:00 CEST and it remains to be seen if Reijnders will feature in that clash, but it’s more like a training encounter anyway.

Provided that the Musah deal materialises, Milan will have the following midfield for the upcoming season: Yacine Adli (could leave), Ismael Bennacer, Charles De Ketelaere (could leave), Rade Krunic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Yunus Musah, Tommaso Pobega and Tijjani Reijnders.

Pioli is expected to switch to a 4-3-3 formation and that means we could see a midfield of Loftus-Cheek, Reijnders and Krunic in the season opener. Bennacer will, unfortunately, be out until the end of the year and then he will participate in the AFCONs for Algeria in January 2024. That’s partly why Milan couldn’t stop at Reijnders.

As for the cost of this midfield rebuild, Milan sold Tonali for €70m to Newcastle (capital gain of around €60m) and paid €16m plus bonuses for Loftus-Cheek. They will pay €20m plus bonuses for Reijnders and the latest rumours suggest that Musah will cost around €18m.

News bulletin

➤ Milan have a new Official Sleeve Partner after an agreement was signed with MSC Cruises, who were founded in Naples. The deal is believed to be worth around the same as BitMEX paid.

➤ With Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic and Tijjani Reijnders all having joined for around the €20m mark, our latest Devil's Advocate column analysed Milan's return to the 'sweet spot' for signings.

➤ The Rossoneri may have already spent around €60m this summer, but the Sandro Tonali money means they have room for more signings. At least 4-5 more additions are planned as per Antonio Vitiello, with specific roles targets.

➤ Two of those could arrive before the team leave for the USA on July 21, with agreements close for Yunus Musah and Arnaut Danjuma of Valencia and Villarreal. The former would be a deal around €18-19, with the latter a paid loan plus an option.

➤ Milan Primavera were back in training at the PUMA House of Football on Wednesday and there was an interesting absentee in Chaka Traore. However, Francesco Camarda and Mattia Liberali were there, and they are just 15 and 16 respectively.

➤ It has been a week of interesting interviews too, starting with Fikayo Tomori's to Sky in which he admitted Paolo Maldini's exit means it feels like there is now a 'piece missing'. Rafael Leao was keen to stress that the vibes are very positive ahead of a crucial campaign.

In case you missed it

Make sure to check out the latest podcast episode, and our latest bonus podcast in which the lads discuss Pulisic’s arrival. You can also read our latest bonus article, which takes a look at the recent success of Milan on three fronts. Are you interested in a paid subscription? Read all about it here.