Milanello awaits [Newsletter]

Jul 03, 2024

Less than one week remains until the start of the pre-season as the first training session, or the Raduno as it’s called, has been scheduled for July 8. It will be Paulo Fonseca’s first meeting with his new squad and while he will need a lot more time than one day, first impressions are always important. Especially with the fans expected to attend.

Almost three weeks have passed since Fonseca was announced as Milan’s new head coach and we are yet to see him on Italian soil. That will soon change, though, with the Raduno date now set and a big turnout expected at Milanello. A lot of work awaits the Portuguese manager as implementing his philosophy isn’t the only task, with his input also needed on the mercato.

In any case, Fonseca and the first team will work closely with Daniele Bonera and Milan Futuro in the first few weeks. It makes sense as the former Lille boss needs to see the youngsters as well, while some players are missing from the first team due to the Euros and extended vacations. It’s possible that some of Bonera’s boys could join the first team for the pre-season tour in the US, after all.

The first friendly is scheduled for Saturday 20 July, with Milan taking on SK Rapid in Austria, and the first US clash will take place on Sunday July 28 against Manchester City. The likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona will also be up against the Rossoneri in the States, which should be good practice for Fonseca and his men. Of course, the fans will also be keeping a close eye on the mercato.

Luka Jovic is currently on vacation and will probably not be back for the first day of pre-season, leaving Francesco Camarda and Lorenzo Colombo as the No.9 options until further notice. Seeing as Milan are expected to reinforce very important positions, with defensive midfield being another, Geoffrey Moncada and co know that they need to do it sooner rather than later.

The start of the mercato has been rather quiet and one would expect some movement relatively soon, even if the Euros are complicating certain negotiations. For those of us who feel that the mercato rumours are getting tiring already, it’s at least nice to know that the team will be back in training next week. And we won’t have to wait too long for the first friendly either.

News Bulletin

➤ On Tuesday afternoon, Milan announced Federico Guidi as the new manager of the Primavera after Ignazio Abate’s exit. He reached the Primavera finals with Roma just last month and it’s certainly a prominent arrival for the Rossoneri. The manager himself also spoke to MilanTV about this new adventure.

➤ Milan announced the permanent signing of Alex Jimenez from Real Madrid on Friday, following his season-long loan. It’s believed that they paid around €5m for his services and the Bernabeu side, according to the Athletic, will have a buy-back clause worth €9m in 2025. One year later, that figure will rise to €12m.

➤ Newcastle are keeping tabs on Malick Thiaw, who is one of their top targets to reinforce the defence this summer. Milan have already made it clear that they would like at least €30m for the German defender, who arrived for around €8m two years ago. However, it remains to be seen if the player would be open to the move.

➤ An intermediary of several Saudi Arabian clubs has initiated contacts with Ismael Bennacer’s agent. Milan consider the release clause of €50m as the starting price, though it’s possible that they could accept less. In the meantime, the Rossoneri are confident that they can obtain a discount for Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana.

➤ Milan’s pursuit of a defensive midfielder continues and several names have been mentioned in the last few weeks. From Mats Wieffer to Youssouf Fofana, who is really the right man for the Rossoneri? The data suggests that the Dutch international is the ideal candidate, at least if we consider the need for more balance in midfield.

➤ The season tickets are expected to be sold out for the 2024-25 season as 35k decided to renew their season tickets from last season, which is up 5% compared to last summer. Only a small portion of season tickets will go on general sale this Friday, with the remaining capacity reserved for single-game sales. The fans have once again let the club know how much they matter.